How accurate is the CA125?

Ihave heard so much on the blood test, but how accurate is it? I have heard you really can't go by that number to tell if you have cancer or not, yet they give you that test and use the number as a starting point I guess.  I have had alot of pain and when I took the scan they showed cysts on both ovaries and a mass, and endementriosis, thickening of the walls of my uterus, which I have no idea what that is?  Anyway, what should the number be? Is there a range meaning everything is ok? If my number is normal, yet I have constant pain, and the scan shows this, what else can they or should they be doing? I just want to understand.  Thank you.

[angelcastro]

hi there,
im no doctor but i wondered as well when my diagnosis was in the works.

the ca 125 can mean many things.  
here is an excerpt from some info on the may clinic website that i found helpful in my initial search for answers.

Answer
Women with ovarian cancer often have an elevated level of cancer antigen 125 (CA 125). But an elevated CA 125 level doesn't mean you have ovarian cancer. Many other conditions also can cause an elevated CA 125 level, including:

Endometriosis
Pancreatitis
Pregnancy
Normal menstruation
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Also, some women with ovarian cancer never have an elevated CA 125 level. Because of these limitations, this test isn't useful as a routine screening for ovarian cancer.

CA 125 readings are primarily used to assess how ovarian cancer is responding to treatment. In women receiving chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, a decreasing CA 125 level often indicates that the cancer is responding to treatment. A rising level may indicate a return or continued growth of the cancer.

If you have an elevated CA 125 level but haven't been diagnosed with cancer, your doctor may recommend further testing to look for the cause.

and here is the link if you want to go exploring there a bit more.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ca-125/HQ00366

hugs to you
angelica

[TAN777]

Thanks so much for the information,and I will check out the website.  Thanks again.

[stephlovespeter_xo]

Hello!
My grandmother was dx with ovarian cancer in June of 2006 and had the CA125 test shortly after to confirm however the test results came back normal. However popular the CA125 test is among doctors and patients, it is not reliable. A lot of times, the test is used as a marker, not a diagnosis. According to my previous ob/gyn, many doctors throughout health care chose not to administer the CA125 test due to a large amount of false positives. I would not rely on the test at all, it is not accurate at all. I hope this helps!
Hope and Faith to all,
best wishes.