Clinical factors influencing serum CA125 levels and their implications for diagnosing ovarian tumors

Ovarian tumors remain a major gynaecological health problem and are among the leading causes of cancer-related mortality among women in India. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate serum CA125 levels in women with ovarian tumors and examine their association with clinical diagnosis and risk factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, parity, and socioeconomic status. Hence, a total of 100 patients with ovarian tumors (50 benign and 50 malignant) and 50 age-matched healthy controls were included, and serum CA125 levels were measured using ELISA. CA125 levels were significantly higher in malignant tumors (1045.28 ± 281.96 U/ml) compared with benign tumors (186.48 ± 103.20 U/ml) and controls (18.50 ± 12.35 U/ml; p < 0.005), with significant associations observed with increasing age, higher BMI, smoking status, lower parity, and higher socioeconomic status. Thus, the combined diagnostic and risk-stratification value of CA125 with demographic and lifestyles factors help improve early detection and clinical assessment of ovarian tumors.