CA-125 Normal Result: Ovarian Cancer Risk and What It Means

A normal CA-125 level does not exclude ovarian cancer. CA-125 is a glycoprotein elevated in ~80% of epithelial ovarian cancers, but:

• False positives: Endometriosis, uterine fibroids, PID, menstruation, pregnancy, liver disease, heart failure.
• False negatives: Early-stage (I/II) cancers often have normal CA-125; some subtypes (mucinous, clear cell) secrete less.

Clinical use: Monitoring treatment response, detecting recurrence in known cancer. Not a standalone screening test for average-risk women.

If symptoms persist (bloating, pelvic pain, early satiety, urinary urgency), further evaluation (transvaginal ultrasound, pelvic exam, HE4, risk algorithms like ROMA) is warranted regardless of CA-125.