CA 125

[keilaaaaa]

Hello ...My mother just did some tests which include CEA CA 15-3 CA 19-9 CA 72-4 25 OH Vitamin D3 CRP and CA 125 Each of the tests showed normal values except CA 125 which was 56.7 when the normal value is 35 My mum just had surgery 1 month ago on breast cancer Now I dont know what to think cause she is almost 53 and is going through menopause She hasn't done chemiotherapy yet I dont know if you guys got information on this issue I need some help to figure this out

[Jen85]

Hi. Sorry you are going through this with your mum. Its not fun, its stressful and not having answers makes everything feel more unmanageable. I presume youve read ca125 can be an indicator of ovarian cancer? Firstly I think I should stress Ca125 is an indicator but nothing more. It's also very different for everyone. For some it is a good indicator for ovarian cancer, for others it is not. There are also other factors that could riase levels. I don't think 56.7 is too bad, many women will have readings in the thousands.

I know it's very hard but sit tight and follow your oncologist. Stay off Google and remember whatever is happening it's better that they are testing than not testing. It's so easy to get sucked into the meaning of numbers but we are all unique and not statistics. Let us know how you and your mum get on.

[Maus123]

Hi Leila. Aside from the ca125 reading, is there any other reason/indicator that makes you worry about ovarian cancer at this point?

To add to Jen's good advice: The ca125 could be in the 50s due to the recent surgery and or related infections. Plus, the breast cancer chemo can be a similar protocol to ovarian cancer chemo. So my advice would be this: One step at a time. Don't jump on the OC wagon yet with your mom. Let her heal properly, have the chemo and get to grips with the breast cancer diagnosis, then check the ca125 again, and maybe also have a genetic BRCA mutation test (as that could indicate a higher likelihood of developing both breast and ovarian cancer).

Quite likely that it will drop back into normal range, and no BRCA. If the ca125 is still high, she could still have a scan to confirm if there is anything to worry about. Usually, if nothing untowards is spotted on the scan images and she has no symptoms and no BRCA mutation, no action is taken other than monitoring while the ca125 remains unusually high.

My own normal range seems to be around 100 by the way.. other folks get worried when their marker exceeds 10... shows how people differ.

Nice to see you care so much and post here. All the best for your mom and you. Maus