Monitoring Ovarian Cancer: CA125 Trial Stirs Controversy

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Monitoring ovarian cancer with regular blood tests for the CA125 biomarker is a firmly embedded practice in oncology, the theory being that rising CA125 levels may indicate a recurrence, which can be treated effectively upon early detection.

But results from a new randomized, controlled trial presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) earlier this year challenge current practice. The trial found that women treated for a recurrence detected through the CA125 biomarker had no better outcomes than those who waited to be treated until the onset of clinical symptoms, several months later. Principal investigator Gordon Rustin, M.D. , director of medical oncology at Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in the United Kingdom, concluded that physicians now have the clinical evidence to support more personalized CA125 monitoring and treatment according to a patient's wants and needs.

“For the first time, women can be offered informed choices [about CA125 monitoring] after they finish their first-line chemotherapy,” Rustin said during his talk at ASCO. “A lot of people think it will change practice.” However, some oncologists and patient advocates challenged that conclusion, saying that there are strong reasons to continue regular monitoring.