What Does Elevated CA-125 Mean?

CA125 is a glycoprotein that can be bound by the monoclonal antibody OC125 from epithelial ovarian cancer antigen detected by Bast and others in 1981. It is derived from the epithelial body epithelium and does not exist in normal ovarian tissues, so it is most commonly found in epithelial ovaries. The serum of patients with tumors (serous tumors) is more sensitive but less specific. Not present in mucinous ovarian tumors. 80% of patients with ovarian epithelial tumors have elevated serum CA125, but nearly half of the early cases are not elevated, so they are not used alone for the early diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer. Serum CA125 is related to the progress of the disease in 90% of patients, so it is mostly used for disease detection and efficacy evaluation. The level of CA125 in 95% of healthy adult women is 40U / ml, and it should be taken seriously if it rises to more than twice the normal value.

CA125

CA125 was derived from epithelial by Bast et al in 1981

CA125 is not only a specific marker of ovarian cancer,

CA125 is immunized with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma cells and

Normal clinical reference range: serum <35kU / L.

Clinical significance:

Serum CA125 levels in patients with ovarian cancer increased significantly, and those who responded to chemotherapy and surgery quickly decreased. In the event of relapse, CA125 elevation may precede clinical symptoms.

Other non-ovarian malignancies also have a certain positive rate, such as breast cancer 40%, pancreatic cancer 50%, gastric cancer 47%, lung cancer 44%, colorectal cancer 32%, and other gynecological tumors 43%. For lung cancer patients, the positive rate of CA125 increases significantly with the stage of lung cancer. Clinical studies have shown that the positive rate of lung cancer is 7.8% in stage I, 18.6% in stage II, 32.5% in stage III and 53.9% in stage IV The overall positive rate was 26.9%. ^[1]

Non-malignant tumors, such as endometriosis, pelvic inflammatory disease, ovarian cyst, pancreatitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis, etc. have different degrees of increase, but the positive rate is low.

CA125 was found to be elevated in pleural and ascites fluid, and higher concentrations of CA125 were also detected in amniotic fluid.

CA125 may increase during the first 3 months of early pregnancy.

CA125 tuberculosis of tuberculosis of the pelvis and abdomen also rises several times.

It exists in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues and patient's serum, and is mainly used to assist the diagnosis of malignant serous ovarian cancer and epithelial ovarian cancer. Can continue to observe dynamically.