Rising Ca125

Posted by sistermarcy @sistermarcy, 4 days ago

In the last two months my ca125 went from 35 to over 900! My oncologist ordered CAT/CT’s (2) a CT with contrast on a brand new machine, Sigtura blood tests using my DNA (actually I’ve been having these blood tests for the last 4 months), all declaring no cancer. I have been having recurring UTI’s. Could this be the cause? Anyone else have anything similar. My oncologist says all we can do is keep monitoring. Any thoughts?

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lathomasmd | @lathomasmd | 3 days ago

CA-125 is not a great test, but it’s the best we have for ovarian cancer. It’s not great because it is not very accurate. Medical tests have different levels of accuracy. And none are 100% accurate. In an ideal world, a test would always be positive when, and only when, the patient has the disease in question. And would always be negative when, and only when, the patient does not have the disease.

Unfortunately, many other conditions, including UTIs, can cause CA-125 to go up. So a high CA-125 doesn’t always mean cancer. Making this even worse, some women who have ovarian cancer have normal CA-125s.

In your case, the UTIs could be the cause of your elevated CA-125, but we also have to worry that your cancer is growing. This is why checking the CA-125 over time is helpful. If your levels keep going up over time, it’s less likely that UTIs are the cause, and more worrisome for recurrence.

It’s very hard to wait and worry. It’s human nature to want the answer RIGHT NOW. When I have to wait and worry, I find the serenity prayer helpful. Best of luck to you.

sistermarcy | @sistermarcy | 3 days ago

Thank you so much for your response. The serenity prayer is a great comfort. So in the mean time I will treasure the time I do have and know that I am in the hands of a loving God.