CA 125 is 35

[roadster]

Two more days until surgery (for 10cm complex mass on ovary) and I just got the CA results back today.  A solid 35.  Doc says she is not concerned about it but I was so hoping for a lower number to ease my fears.  Can anyone share any thoughts on CA numbers?  I understand that is just on the borderline of abnormal.  Thanks - jen

[LindaF]

From what my doc at John's Hopkins told me, pay no mind to the CA-125 as a diagnostic tool. It simply doesn't do much to tell the tale. Mine was 28 (I had one done before I went to Hopkins) and boy, did I hear about it on other web sites - high end of normal, indicative of cancer, etc. Anything those angels of death on the other sites could say, they did. My cyst was a benign cystadenoma on my fallopian tube. Other women here have had their initial CA-125s in the 50s and had it turn out to be a benign mucosal tumor. Others have had normal or high CA-125s and did have cancer. John's Hopkins is one of the top medical facilities in the country and they weren't interested in the CA-125 numbers unless it was to help get a baseline for patients who's after-surgery pathology turned out to be cancerous. Hope this helps.



Linda

[LindaF]

And good luck on that surgery. Things should go well. You get good drugs to help with the recovery! The running joke here in my family now is "take extra strength Tylenol and keep the oxycontin for when the kids are making you crazy!" :)

L.

[kathy o]

there is absolutely nothing wrong with your ca125 being at 35.  That is a good number