A Marker of Concern: Interpreting the Role of the CA 125 Test in Ovarian Cancer Monitoring, Recurrence Detection, and Its Limitations as a Screening Tool
The CA 125 Test measures the level of a protein, Cancer Antigen 125, in the blood, which is often found in elevated concentrations in patients with ovarian cancer, making it a valuable tool for monitoring treatment effectiveness and detecting disease recurrence. Although its levels correlate strongly with advanced ovarian cancer activity, its utility as a general screening tool is severely limited because many benign conditions, such as endometriosis and menstruation, can also cause transient elevations.
Due to this lack of specificity, an elevated CA 125 alone is not diagnostic of cancer and must be interpreted carefully alongside imaging results and a patient’s full clinical picture, especially in premenopausal women. The discussion could focus on how clinicians navigate the ambiguity of the test results and its use in risk stratification, particularly in women with a high genetic risk for ovarian cancer.