Ovarian Cancer, Inflammation, and CA-125

Excerpt

To the Editor: The CA-125 antigen test developed by Bast and colleagues (1) has proved to be a valuable tool for clinicians caring for patients with ovarian cancer; changes in the serum level correlate well in most patients with either regression or progression of disease. Unfortunately, the antigen is not specific for ovarian cancer or even malignant disease, and it is possible that co-existing conditions may influence the serum level, complicating the interpretation of the results of the blood test (2, 3). We recently encountered such a problem and present the following case to emphasize that caution must be exercised