CA125 가 높이면 난소암일까요?

CA125는 난소암, 자궁내막증, 자궁선근증, 자궁근종, 골반염 등 다양한 질환에서 상승할 수 있습니다. CA125가 주로 난소암의 재발을 확인하는데 사용되기 때문에 CA125가 높다고 하면 난소암이 아닌가 걱정하기 쉬운데, 실제로 CA125가 상승하는 가장 흔한 경우는 자궁내막증과 자궁선근증이 있을 경우입니다.

또한 CA125는 생리주기에 따라 변동이 되기 때문에 검사결과가 애매할 경우 재검사가 필수적이며, 절대적인 레벨보다는 상승하는 패턴이 더 중요한 것으로 알려져 있습니다.

건강검진에서 CA125가 높게 나왔다고 해도 반드시 난소암을 의심해야 하는 것은 아니므로 너무 걱정하지 마시고, 산부인과 전문의의 진료를 받아보시기 바랍니다.

As a biomarker
CA-125 is clinically approved for following the response to treatment and predicting prognosis after treatment. It is especially useful for detecting the recurrence of ovarian cancer. Its potential role for the early detection of ovarian cancer is controversial and has not yet been adopted for widespread screening efforts in asymptomatic women. The key problems in using the CA-125 test as a screening tool are its lack of sensitivity and its inability to detect early stage cancers. An operation would be necessary to confirm that a woman with elevated CA-125 has ovarian cancer, with the associated risk of death from major surgery. In addition, even if cancer was confirmed in such circumstances, it usually would be at an advanced stage where therapy is less effective. The goal of many cancer biologists is to develop a test that would be employed to diagnose ovarian cancer at an early stage, when the effects of therapeutic interventions are optimal.Specificity and sensitivity

Speicificity and Sensivitiy
It is best known as a marker for ovarian cancer,^[5] but it may also be elevated in other malignant cancers, including those originating in the endometrium, fallopian tubes, lungs, breast and gastrointestinal tract. CA-125 may also be elevated in a number of relatively benign conditions, such as endometriosis, several diseases of the ovary, and pregnancy.^[7] It also tends to be elevated in the presence of any inflammatory condition in the abdominal area, both cancerous and benign.

Thus, CA-125 is not perfectly specific for cancer nor is it perfectly sensitive since not every patient with cancer will have elevated levels of CA-125 in the blood.^[8] For example, 79% of all ovarian cancers are positive for CA-125, whereas the remainder do not express this antigen at all.^[9]

Ranges in ovarian cancer

While this test is not generally regarded as useful for large scale screening by the medical community, a high value may be an indication that the woman should receive further diagnostic screening or treatment. Normal values range from 0 to 35 (μg/mL). Elevated levels in post-menopausal women are usually an indication that further screening is necessary. In pre-menopausal women, the test is less reliable as values are often elevated due to a number of non-cancerous causes, and a value above 35 is not necessarily a cause for concern.

Discovery

CA-125 was initially detected using the monoclonal antibody designated OC125. Dr.'s Robert Bast, Robert Knapp and their research team first isolated this monoclonal antibody in 1981.^[10]

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CA125