Rising ca 125 2 years after frontline treatment.

Pratoman
Pratoman Member Posts: 17
edited April 2019 in Ovarian Cancer #1

My wife is 2 years past the end of her frontline treatment. Ca 125 at diagnosis was 1700. She was supposed to have surgery, but a day before the surgery, she was diagnosed with blood clot in her lung. So they started her on chemo. 3 months later she had surgery. Complete debulking (better than optimal, no visible cancer left). Then more chemo,at Her last cycle her ca 125 was down to 4.4

over the last two years she has been feeling great. her serial ca 125 results have been 8.3, 8.1, 12.3, 10.1 and 10.7. These were 3-4 month intervals. Now her most recent test came back initially at 17. We were very nervous. Dr asked that she retest in a m0nth, if up again we’d do scans.

Subsequently we found out that they sent the blood to a different lab than the one that’s done all the past tests. Dr was annoyed. blood was then ordered (same blood sample) back and sent to the lab where all past tests were done, for consistency. 

Result came back at 13.7. Again, same blood sample, retested at the original lab. Better than 17!

doc still wants retest in 1 month, but seems less concerned.

any thoughts? Thanks in advance

concerned husband.

Comments

  • Tethys41
    Tethys41 Member Posts: 1,382 Member
    edited April 2019 #2
    Labs

    Hi Pratoman,

    That's very interesting that the results were different between the two labs.  I wonder if they were using different tests.  One of the CA-125 tests has a normal range between 0-21, while another has a range between 0-35.  Maybe that was the difference?  

    There is another test you might request, HE-4, Human Epididymis Pertein 4.  Her doctor may or may not know about it, but my oncologist has requested it multiple times for me.  It is another measure of possible ovarian cancer and from what I read, it would go up earlier than the CA-125 if a recurrence is brewing.  

    Good luck.  I hope the next test brings good news.  

  • Pratoman
    Pratoman Member Posts: 17
    #3
    Tethys41

    thanks for your comments. They were definitely different assays, testing for the same protein. How do you know the reference ranges are different?

    edit: I actually just looked and the ref Range of the two assays are <35 and <36, so not much difference

  • Jshepperson@gmail.com
    Jshepperson@gmail.com Member Posts: 1
    #4
    Rising CA125 after completing 6 rounds of carbo/taxol

    Hello I completed six rounds of chemo therapy for ovarian cancer and at the end of my CA 125 was 400 which was down from 10,000 so the doctor said all my scans were clear to just watch the CA 125. Well every three weeks of goes up so now I am up to a CA 125 of 2200 since the end of August 2019 I don't know if it's my diet or stress or inflammation but my scans are clear doctor sent me for a pet scan Monday just to trying to get some answers has anyone else had this happen to them with rising CA125?

Discussion Boards