The Role of CA-125 in the Management of Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background

Ovarian cancer is frequently occurring and fatal for women. CA-125 is important in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of ovarian cancer. This review study was conducted to explore the influence of CA-125 in addressing ovarian cancer.

Methods

To investigate the role of CA-125 in ovarian cancer, we conducted a comprehensive search for high-quality articles in the Medline, Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases using the keywords “ovarian cancer,” “ovarian carcinoma,” “ovarian neoplasms,” and “CA-125” from the 2000 to 2024. We included full-text, peer-reviewed articles in English with relevant keywords published since 2000. We excluded case reports, commentaries, letters to the editor, books, case series, systematic reviews, animal studies, and articles that were not accessible in full text.

Results

After screening the 7947 records, 88 studies were included in this review. In the literature review, it was found that researchers utilized CA-125 for diagnosing ovarian cancer, its predicting, evaluating treatment response, assessing ovarian cancer survival, and early detection of recurrence. In some cases, researchers employed additional tumor markers alongside CA-125 to enhance the test's sensitivity.

Conclusion

CA-125 has become a pivotal marker for ovarian cancer. Its role in the diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing assessment of ovarian cancer cannot be overstated. Continuous monitoring of CA-125 levels can provide comprehensive insights, and categorizing patients as low-risk or high-risk based on CA-125 levels could lead to better outcomes. Integrating CA-125 with other biomarkers may enhance the accuracy of the test and elevate its relevance in patient care.