ca 125 blood test -Tumor Marker

Also known as CA 125 tumor marker
Official name: Cancer Antigen 125
Related Tests: Tumor Markers, BRCA-1 and BRCA-2, Human Epididymis Protein 4 (HE4)
In one look
Why be tested?

Monitor the treatment of ovarian cancer or detect a recurrence; sometimes to evaluate a localized mass in the pelvic area (pelvic mass); not recommended for screening asymptomatic women, but sometimes ordered to help detect early ovarian cancer in those identified as high risk
When to be tested?

Before starting treatment of ovarian cancer and at regular intervals during and after treatment; sometimes when you have a pelvic mass or are at high risk of developing ovarian cancer
Sample required?

A blood sample was taken from a vein in your arm
Preparation of the necessary test?

ca 125 blood test -Tumor Marker

The test sample

What is tested?

Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125) is a protein found on the surface of most but not all ovarian cancer cells. This makes the test used as a tumor marker under specific circumstances. The CA-125 test measures the amount of CA-125 in the blood.

Significantly elevated levels of CA-125 may be present in the blood of a woman with ovarian cancer. Thus, the test can be used to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment and/or the recurrence of cancer. However, not all women with ovarian cancer will have a high level of CA-125, so the test may not be useful in all cases.

Ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death among women. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the risk of ovarian cancer is 1 in 75 and the risk of death for life is 1 in 100. ACS estimates that about 22,000 new cases are diagnosed each year by the United States and about 14,000 women die.

Currently, less than 20% of ovarian cancers are in the early stages before they have spread outside the ovary. The main reason they are not detected is that the symptoms of ovarian cancer are quite nonspecific.

The need for a reliable method for the early detection of ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women continues to stimulate ongoing research. In the meantime, regular physical exams, pelvic exams and knowledge of family history and symptoms are important.

CA-125 is not recommended as a screening test for asymptomatic women because it is not specific. Small amounts of CA-125 are produced by normal tissue throughout the body and by other cancers. Levels in the blood can be moderately elevated with a variety of non-cancerous conditions, including menstruation, pregnancy, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

ca 125 blood test -Tumor Marker

How is the sample collected for the test?

A blood sample is obtained by inserting a needle into a vein of the arm.

NOTE: If you have medical tests that make you anxious, embarrassing, or difficult to manage, you may want to consider reading one or more of the following: Dealing with pain, discomfort, and anxiety. Blood tests, tips to help children through their medical tests, and tips to help the elderly through their medical tests.

Another article, Follow That Sample, provides an overview of the collection and processing of a blood sample and throat culture.

Is a test preparation necessary to ensure the quality of the sample?

No test preparation is necessary.

ca 125 blood test -Tumor Marker

How is it used?
When is it ordered?
What does the test result mean?
Is there anything else I should know?

How is it used?

Miniature diagram of the cervix

Cancer Antigen 125 (CA-125) is a tumor marker primarily used to monitor therapy during the treatment of ovarian cancer. CA-125 is also used to detect if cancer has returned after the end of treatment. A series of CA-125 tests showing increasing or decreasing concentrations is often more useful than a single result.

CA-125 is sometimes used with transvaginal ultrasound to test and monitor women who are at high risk for ovarian cancer, but who do not have the disease yet. The most important risk factor for ovarian cancer is an inherited genetic mutation in one of two genes: the breast cancer gene (BRCA1) or the breast cancer gene (BRCA2). Other risk factors include family history, increasing age, reproductive history and infertility, use of hormone replacement therapy, and obesity.

Sometimes a CA-125 test can be ordered together with a transvaginal ultrasound to help study a size in the woman's lower abdominal area (pelvic mass).

However, the test is not used to screen for ovarian cancer in women because it is not specific. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends not screening women for ovarian cancer. This recommendation applies to asymptomatic women, but not to women at high risk of developing ovarian cancer, such as those who have a genetic mutation.

Currently, there is no reliable method for the early detection of ovarian cancer in asymptomatic women. Less than 20% of ovarian cancers are in the early stages before they have spread outside the ovary. One reason they are not detected is that the symptoms of ovarian cancer are quite nonspecific. In the meantime, regular physical exams, pelvic exams and knowledge of family history and other risk factors are important. (For more information on ovarian cancer, see "What is tested?" Or the article on ovarian cancer.)

When is it ordered?

The CA-125 test can be ordered before a woman begins treatment for ovarian cancer as a basis for comparison with other measures. During therapy, a health professional may order CA-125 tests at regular intervals to monitor the response to treatment. CA-125 can also be measured periodically after the end of treatment.

In some cases, a health care practitioner may request a CA-125 test when a woman has a pelvic mass to help determine the cause.

Some health care providers may request a CA-125 and transvaginal ultrasound at regular intervals when a woman is at high risk of developing ovarian cancer.

What does the test result mean?

If CA-125 levels fall during treatment, this usually indicates that the cancer is responding to treatment. If CA-125 levels increase or remain the same, cancer may not respond to treatment. High levels of CA-125 after treatment may indicate that cancer has returned.

If a woman who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer has a baseline level of normal CA-125, then the test will probably not be useful for monitoring her ovarian cancer. In this case, ovarian cancer may not produce CA-125 and is not a good marker of disease progression.

In a woman with a pelvic mass, and in a woman with a high risk of developing ovarian cancer, a significantly elevated CA-125 is a concern but does not necessarily indicate ovarian cancer. This finding would encourage further testing and evaluation.

Is there anything else I should know?

Because CA-125 can be elevated in many normal or benign conditions, such as pregnancy, menstruation, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, it is not used or recommended as a screening test for the general population.

A new tumor marker, the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4), can be used in combination with CA-125 to monitor epithelial cell tumors, the most common type of ovarian cancer. These cancers develop from the cells that cover the outside of the ovaries. The use and the complete clinical utility of this test have not yet been determined.

refrence : https://labtestsonline.org