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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• What is CA 125?
• How is CA 125 measured?
• What is the normal range for CA 125?
• What does an elevated CA 125 mean, and how is the test used?
• What conditions other than ovarian cancer can cause an increased CA 125?
• Is CA 125 testing useful as a cancer screening test?
• Patient Comments: Ca 125 - Results
• Patient Comments: CA 125 - Testing Experience
• CA 125 Index

What conditions other than ovarian cancer can cause an increased CA 125?

A number of benign conditions can cause elevations of the CA 125 level, including pregnancy, endometriosis, uterine fibroids (benign tumors), pancreatitis, normal menstruation, pelvic inflammatory disease, and liver disease. Benign tumors or cysts of the ovaries can also cause an abnormal test result. Increases can also be seen in cancers other than ovarian cancer, including malignancies of the uterine tubes, endometrium, lung, breast, pancreas, and gastrointestinal tract.

Is CA 125 testing useful as a cancer screening test?

Although CA 125 is a useful test in monitoring women who are being treated for ovarian cancer, a single CA 125 test is not considered to be a useful screening test for cancer. Some women with ovarian cancer (up to 20%) never have elevated CA 125 levels, while most women who do have elevated CA 125 levels do not have cancer. In fact, because CA 125 can be elevated in so many non-cancerous conditions, only about 3% of women with elevated CA 125 levels have ovarian cancer.

REFERENCE:

Hussain, Fazal. "Gynecologic Tumor Markers." eMedicine. Mar. 30, 2009. <http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/269839-overview>.