Article Submission by Kat Sanders: CA125 and the Role of a Radiologist in Treating Cancer

CA125 and the Role of a Radiologist in Treating Cancer

http://becomingaradiologist.org/

There are various factors that cause cancer, and in the fight back against this terrible disease, mankind has discovered and invented some of the best methods of treating and managing it. One such aspect is CA125, also known as Cancer Antigen 125, a marker that can potentially detect the early stages of ovarian cancer in women. More than the diagnosis however, the role of CA125 comes to the fore in the continuing treatment and future prognosis. It helps your oncologist detect if your cancer has the potential to return or if you are well on the way to recovery.

As with any cutting edge treatment, CA125 has come it for its share of criticism when it is used as a marker to diagnose ovarian cancer. While it has been accepted as the standard in determining the future prognosis of a patient who has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and treated for the same, there are doubts over how effective it is in helping to determine the presence of cancerous growths in the ovary. This is because women with elevated levels of CA125 in their blood are not necessarily suffering from ovarian cancer or are at risk for the disease. Also, there is no evidence to prove that the absence of or low level of CA125 is enough to rule out the possibility of ovarian cancer.

Although CA125 is primarily known for its use in treating and managing ovarian cancer, there is evidence to show that it is helpful in diagnosing other kinds of cancers like those that originate in the endometrium, breast, fallopian tubes, lungs and the gastrointestinal tract.

Recent research has found that Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is more effective than CA125 in helping to assess the recurrence of ovarian cancer and the efficacy of the treatment being followed by those who are affected by this disease.

Even so, CA125 is extremely useful in monitoring therapy for ovarian cancer and in determining the recurrence of the cancer over a period of time.

By-line:

This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of radiologist technician at her blog "The Overwhelmed Student" Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.

http://becomingaradiologist.org/