CA-125 | Ovarian Cancer Marker

CA 125 – this tumor marker is most commonly used as an aid in diagnosing, monitoring, and evaluating the course of ovarian carcinoma. This marker is useful for patients who have undergone primary ovarian cancer treatment to detect disease recurrence or persistent tumor activity. CA 125 is also applied in serial measurements to monitor treatment effectiveness and disease progression.

Although CA 125 is not specific to ovarian tumors alone, it can be elevated in other malignant tumors (uterus, breast, pancreas, stomach) or benign conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, menstruation, or liver cirrhosis. Therefore, the interpretation of this marker must be done cautiously and always in conjunction with other clinical and diagnostic data.

This test is also an important part of the ROMA (Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm) – an algorithm that, along with the HE4 test, helps assess the risk of ovarian cancer in women with pelvic masses. The ROMA algorithm is applied to both premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Test principle: CA 125 concentration is determined using an immunochemical method from venous blood. The results are presented in units of IU/ml. The test is usually performed repeatedly at certain intervals.

Recommendations:

• Recommended for patients with current or past ovarian carcinoma.
• Useful for assessing disease recurrence after treatment and monitoring therapy effectiveness.
• Assigned as an auxiliary test for patients with pelvic masses.
• Performed together with the HE4 test as part of the ROMA algorithm to assess malignant tumor risk.
• CA 125 elevation can also be due to benign conditions, so it is important to evaluate the test comprehensively.
• It is recommended to come for the test fasting for at least 12 hours.