Clotted blood tube (Serum gel separator clot activator tube)

Minimum blood volume: 5 mL

Authorisation code required

Yes

(Private patient and PWH-O&G patient ONLY)

24 Hr available service

No

Method

Immunoassay

Reference interval

Female: < 21 kIU/L

(Source: from manufacturer's kit insert)

Clinical indication

CA 125 is a marker for serous carcinoma, especially carcinoma of the ovary, but elevations are also seen in peritoneal disease of any cause.

Aid in monitoring the response to therapy for patients with epithelial ovarian cancers, and in detecting residual ovarian cancer in patients who have undergone first-line therapy.

Result interpretation

Persistence of an increased level after treatment indicates a significant amount of residual tumour.

Decrease to a normal level after treatment may mean eradication of the tumour or persistence of only small amounts of tumour; subsequent elevation indicates regrowth of the tumour.

Lesser elevations may be found in some non-malignant conditions (e.g. pericarditis, cirrhosis, severe hepatic necrosis, endometriosis [stage II – IV], first trimester pregnancy, and ovarian cysts), or some non-ovarian malignancies (e.g. uterine carcinoma, hepatoma, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and lung cancers).