Ovarian Cancer (CA125) Test

Order an at-home Ovarian Cancer Test to detect the levels of CA 125 (Cancer Antigen 125) in your blood aiding the detection of ovarian cancer or its reoccurrence. This test is a useful tool for monitoring how ovarian cancer is responding to treatment or for predicting a patient's diagnosis post-treatment.

This prognostic biomarker is also used for fallopian tube or primary peritoneum cancers. High levels of CA 125 do not always mean cancer and can be caused by other medical conditions causing health issues. Elevated CA 125 levels are common in perimenopausal women and a variety of benign conditions.

Ovarian cancer testing requires a CT (Computerized Tomography) scan, a needle biopsy, laparoscopy, or a transvaginal ultrasound. However, a less invasive blood test for CA 125 is the standard screening test for detecting abnormally high levels in women with ovarian cancer or sometimes a benign yet troubling issue including menstruating issues, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease.

CA 125 is a protein found in the blood and normal levels are 35 U/mL (units per millilitre) or lower. It is a type of tumour marker recommended for aiding the diagnosis and management of ovarian cancer, mainly if the levels are higher than 40 U/mL.

Over 250,000 women are affected by ovarian cancer every year and it has been known to be called a “silent disease” as symptoms do not always occur until the latter stages. Early detection of ovarian cancer can be difficult to diagnose, however 90% of women with advanced ovarian cancer and 50% of women with early-stage ovarian cancer have elevated levels of CA 125 in their blood.

This rapid three-step lateral flow immunoassay test uses a specimen collection capillary tube/pipette, inclusive of test buffer and a chromatographic test cassette to detect the level of CA 125 in whole blood above 40 U/mL for self-testing and is shipped directly to you.

▶OVARIAN CANCER SYMPTOMS:

Monitoring your CA 125 levels on a regular basis can detect ovarian cancer and monitor treatment response or reoccurrence, preventing undetected cancer from going untreated and symptoms from becoming worse. Reasons for using this test include:

• Family history of ovarian cancer
• Lack of appetite or feeling full rapidly after eating
• Urgent need to urinate or urinating more often than usual
• Swollen stomach or feeling bloated
• Pain or tenderness in your lower stomach or pelvic area
• Weight loss
• General fatigue
• Variety of bowel issues

▶ HOW IT WORKS:

The CA 125 rapid test detects high levels in whole blood qualitatively when the anti-CA 125 coated membrane on the test line region on the test cassette, reacts with the CA 125 in the blood. The mixture migrates upwards by capillary action, reacting with the anti-CA 125 antibody and generating a coloured line. Any presence or shade of a coloured line in the test region (T) indicates a positive result and its absence indicates a negative result. One coloured line should appear in the control region (C) confirming that the test is valid.

CA 125 in your blood above 40 U/mL may indicate the presence of cancer or other medical issues such as perimenopause, diverticulitis, endometriosis, liver cirrhosis, pregnancy, and uterine fibroids. Sometimes women may be asymptomatic or have similar symptoms caused by other health conditions eliminating cancer as the cause.

Doctors regularly use the CA 125 test to monitor how effective treatment is as CA 125 levels can fluctuate in response to certain treatment regimens and may be used as a guide to consider alternative medical treatments or reoccurrence post-treatment. A diagnosis is not based on the results of one single lateral flow test alone and exploratory surgical procedures are generally required for a definitive diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

▶ REFERENCES:

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ovarian-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20375941
2. https://ocrahope.org/get-the-facts/signs-and-symptoms/what-is-ca-125/
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cancer-antigen-125#what-happens-next
4. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323798?utm_source=ReadNext

Elevated levels of CA 125 will show as a positive test result on the test region (T) of the cassette and the more intense the colour, the higher the concentration of CA 125 in the sample, however any shade of colour in the test region should be considered positive.

The results can then be used to seek further medical advice, further diagnostic investigation, and to implement or monitor appropriate treatment depending on the diagnosis.

Cancer antigen 125 is a glycoprotein. Glycoproteins are molecules that consist of protein and carbohydrate chains that are involved in physiological functions including immune responses. This protein is found on most ovarian cancer cells and is then secreted into the blood stream.

The female ovaries store eggs and generally women ovulate once a month, releasing one matured egg from one of the ovaries and down the fallopian tubes. When abnormal ovarian cells grow their DNA mutates and quickly multiply, they can invade and destroy healthy tissue eventually forming a growth (tumour). There are several types of ovarian cancer depending on the type of cell the cancer began growing in: epithelial, germ, and stromal cells.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer if they present themselves at all consist of very common conditions, for example abdominal bloating, fatigue, or frequent urination to name a few, therefore it can be difficult to know what’s wrong and currently there is no fully reliable screening tool. However, a CA 125 test can be a useful tool as part of the diagnosis or for monitoring ovarian cancer.

High levels of CA 125 do not always mean cancer and can be caused by other medical conditions causing health issues. Elevated CA 125 levels are common in perimenopausal women and a variety of benign conditions. Significantly higher levels correlate with moderate to severe endometriosis, uterine fibroids, and abdominal inflammatory conditions such as diverticulitis, peritonitis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. More serious conditions can also produce high levels such as cirrhosis of the liver due to ascites, fluid collection in abdominal spaces. Research has also shown 10% of normal pregnant women showed rising levels of CA 125 without ovarian tumours.

Ovarian cancer is the second most harmful gynaecological malignancy, and the CA 125 tumour biomarker has primarily been the most useful tool for the past 40 years to allow individuals to seek medical care or treatment for ovarian cancer or other health issues.

▶ REFERENCES:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5902053/#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20for%20normal%20pregnant,a%20possible%20cause%20besides%20pregnancy.
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6160305/#:~:text=Cirrhosis%20of%20liver%20is%20one,increase%20in%20CA%2D125%20levels
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5153578/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7763876/