Value of CA 125 as a marker of ovarian cancer

Elevated CA 125 level was noted in 0.2-5.9% healthy women, 2.2-27.8% patients with benign ovarian cysts, and approximately 80% patients with nonmucinous ovarian cancer. In the early stages of cancer, CA 125 level was lower than in the disseminated process (with tendency to higher levels in cases of accompanying exudates to body cavities). The level was found to correlate with the mass of tumor, extent of surgery and response to chemotherapy. Maintenance or increase in CA 125 level after three months of chemotherapy was found to indicate ineffectiveness of the treatment, suggesting a more aggressive therapeutic strategy. The estimation of CA 125 half life after the first two courses of chemotherapy was noted to be a good prognostic factor (9.2 to 10.73 days in patients with total remission, and 22.6 to 44.87 days in patients with progression). The monitoring of ovarian cancer courses using CA 125 level estimations in the serum facilitated decisions at to the timing of the second-look operation; elevated level of the marker was found to indicate that the latter was superfluous. Elevated CA 125 level proceeded clinical diagnosis of relapse by 3 to 6 months, but only in the patients who at earlier stages of the treatment also showed abnormal levels of the marker. The monitoring of patients with complete remission who showed normal CA 125 level throughout the treatment was found useless.