CA125 info on the web.

[Ang80]

Hi All

I was browsing the internet last night and found alot of info about CA125. It was worried me. I hope someone can help.....

I read that in women with OVCA history the CA125 should never go above 20, is that true? The site said 0-35 is normal for women without a history of OVCA.

I also read that when when the CA125 goes over 20 it means the woman is almost certainly having a reoccurance.

My mums has gone from 12-21 and we were told 0-35 is normal. Mum had stage III dx March 05.

I am worrying myself sick after reading the articles last night.

Thanks

Ang.

[nyc lady]

I have also heard that it is a "trend" that they watch for.  A continuation in the rise of the number.

A physical examination may not show anything, the doctor can very easily say everything is fine.  A scan is necessary to see if there are any masses that cannot be felt my the human hand.  Please be sure that they schedule your mother for scans with her follow up CA125 if there is a continued rise.

I recently lost a friend to OvCa and the doctors will tell you that thru a physical examination she was fine, the scans showed the spread of the disease.  

This disease does not have one tool to measure or diagnosis, the doctors must use several different tests to gather information.  Please make sure she has all the appropriate tests, a CA125 alone is not enough.

[Ang80]

Mums CA125 at diagnosis was 512.

She has not had a scan but had physical tests and examinations done which they said were ok.

She is due another test end of March.

Thanks

Ang

[SimplyStar]

daughter was stage 3 also  surgery  7/06  chemo finished 11/06 my understanding that any infection, even an anal fissure can raise it.

[Tybear]

I was diagnosed stage 3c and my Dr's use 35 as the cut off. You will get different answers from everyone here - some labs use 20 to catch a recurrence and some stick with 35. I think the best indicator of a recurrence is a steady trend of an increase. Have your mother's test repeated and if it goes up again by a significant amount, then your Dr's will probably talk about where to go from there. Did she have a CT scan done? Did it show anything? The CA125 test is not a good marker for me. I was only at 46 when diagnosed and the lowest I ever went was only 14. When I had my recurrence, it only went to 18 - no higher.
Good luck,
Becky

[Ang80]

Hi

Thanks for your response.

She didn't have any infections but she does have anal fissures which have been playing her up lately, not sure if they can cause the rise but they can get inflammed and be sore.

What stage was your daughters OVCA?

Mum was stage III when diagnosed, and I always start to panic when I hear the numbers are not as they were.

Thanks

Ang

[baguba]

I think CA125 results can fluctuate for no reason.  It is a very sensitive test.  Before my original dx I was a false negative at 27, but was found to have Stage IC OVCA. After surgery and cehmo, my numbers remained in the single digits for up to almost 4 years.  When I recurred, my CA 125 had gone up to 22 - still "normal" by the range my hospital uses, but a trend for me, indicating that something was going on. Therefore, it was determined that the CA 125 was indeed a good marker for me. When I had my second surgery, it was still only 32, and then up to 100 after surgery.  I went the other day for CT scan and CA 125 and thought the number would surely be up becasue I had a bout of diverticulitis, but it had in fact dropped almost 2 points. Go figure! It is important to voice your concerns to your mom's doctors until they hear you, and perhaps request another blood test before the one scheduled to be done in March. You're a good daughter and your mom needs you right now.  Try not to get yourself all worked up about something that could be nothing.  The important thing is to act when you feel you need to.  Good luck.  Judie :)

[Helmar]

My Oncol. insists that we all place too much importance on the numbers. He tells me that among his patients, he has ladies with low CA.125 numbers who have more active cancer, than those with higher CA.125..
Before Christmas mine was 7500.... and I was feeling really well, had a great appetite and led a very active lifestyle. Since on chemo, it's dropped to 1600, which is a huge reduction, but I don't feel any different than I did before I started chemo. It's a very strange disease, and we all seem to be different.
I know it must be hard, as I have a nature that doesn't let things bother me... but if you can stop yourself being stressed about these things, it would be better. Stressing out over something that one doesn't have any control over is a waste of energy to me. My Oncol.like all Oncols. are doing what they can to help us, and the rest is up to God, I think.
Best wishes all.....hugs...Helmar..

[Hazel30]

Hi Ang80, I posted to you previously about this.  I just went through what your feeling now and my best advise to you, if your that stressed, is to request another ca-125 and possible CT scan.  As some posted that ca-125 may not be a good indicator which is true so the doctors realy look at the trend.  My Moms recurrence was at CA-125 26, why? because the docotrs were looking at the overall trend it kept going up 6 points every month to 3 weeks.  Although clear CT scan but a rising ca-125.  Also, eventhough some women may have a rising pattern in the ca-125 and a clear scan and not sympotmatic there are other options out there beside chemo such as antibodies through IV.  Some doctors dont want to rush straight into treatment with just one evidence of a slowly rising ca-125.  But Im sure you have nothing to worry about at this point.  For now I would just be calm and think positive because your mind is your worse enemy.  I've had my down time too and they are very stressful but you have to be strong for your Mom and believe that everything will be ok.  Like Helmar said that their doctors are doing their best and the rest is up to God.

[SimplyStar]

the doctors watching my daughter tell us to keep close watch on her CA125 because it has been a good indicator for her, she had an infected sinus during the last Ca125 and it raised to 16.6  from 5.5, instead of 2 months wait for the next one, they put her on predisone and will repeat in 2 weeks. If your mothers test is a good marker for her, then did she have any kind of infection going on at the time. Good luck and keep us posted.