The clinical significance of carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125)

        At present, it is commonly used clinically to detect tumor markers for ovarian cancer.

1. Screening and early detection
        ① Serum CA125 is generally not used for ovarian cancer screening in asymptomatic women.
        ② For high-risk groups with special genetic mutations or family history of ovarian cancer, serum CA125 combined with vaginal ultrasound can be considered for early detection of ovarian cancer.

2. Auxiliary diagnosis
        ① Serum CA125 is mainly used for auxiliary diagnosis of ovarian cancer, especially epithelial ovarian cancer. It can also be used as a differential diagnostic index for benign and malignant pelvic tumors in postmenopausal women.
        ② Serum CA125 also has a certain positive rate in other malignant tumors such as lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cancer and other gynecological tumors.
        ③ Serum CA125 may also increase to varying degrees in certain benign diseases such as endometriosis, chronic pelvic inflammatory disease, peritonitis, ovarian cysts, pancreatitis, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and other diseases, but the positive percentage is low.

3. Prognosis assessment
        Serum CA125 is one of the factors that determine the prognosis of ovarian cancer. Whether before or after surgery, the continuous increase of serum CA125 indicates a poor prognosis.

4. Efficacy and recurrence monitoring
        ① Continuous detection of serum CA125 can be used to monitor the efficacy of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. It is usually tested once within 2 weeks before chemotherapy and once during 2 to 4 weeks during chemotherapy. The continuous increase of CA125 during the monitoring period indicates disease progression or poor efficacy.
        ② For those with elevated serum CA125 before treatment, CA125 can be used for follow-up monitoring after treatment. Generally within 2 years after treatment, it should be tested every 2 to 4 months, and every 3 to 6 months for 3 to 5 years.