ca125 count

[paradise1987]

I know that ca125 is mostly related to ovarian cancer but I also read that it was also related to breast cancer. When my grandmother was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer, her ca125 count was about 400 I believe. Recently my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had told us that it was at stage 0, but had not told us the count. She let it slip that it was like at 800.
Now my question is, what are the ca125 counts for each stage of cancer,? If there is any.

[Neta100]

Hi there.  The CA - 125 is used as an ovarian cancer marker and it is usually used in women who have had cancer and have been treated, so they can see how they have responded to the treatment.  I was tested for it due to the growth of ovarian cysts, but for what I have researched, it can be elevated in my case, for other reasons and the only option to know if it's really cancer (benign or not) is by doing a biopsy and the type of cancer depends on where it has extended to.  You can look up information in the National Cancer Institute Center and you can even chat on line with a person who guides you to the information you want to know.  Hope this helps.

[paradise1987]

I really want to get this straight. The CA125 doesn't have anything to do with breast cancer? and I was wrong; my grandmothers count went down to 400 after surgery; on March 31 it will be a year since her death. Because my grandmothers illness affected us a lot, I don't think she wants us to worry so much. I don't think she is telling us everything.

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

Hi There,

You should ask your grandmother for the results of her tests. It is unlikely that an elevated CA 125 is related to an early breast cancer.  She may have had anotehr blood test and it would be good to clarify that.

If she truly has a CA 125 of 800, that is extremenly abnormal. In postmenopausal women there are far fewer non malignant reasons for an elevation. The other possible reasons can be conegstive heart failure or active infection. If she does not have that, she needs an evaluation for ovarian cancer with a CT scan given the family history . Before doing that I would just repeat the CA 125 to make sure it is not an error.
best wishes