Change in blood protein detects more ovarian cancers than fixed threshold, study finds

Estimating a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer by the speed at which the level of a blood protein increases is more accurate than using a fixed threshold for the protein level, a study has found.1

For many years researchers have been studying levels of a protein linked to ovarian cancer called CA125, which can help to diagnose the disease at an early stage. Previously a fixed cut-off has been used for CA125 (more than 35 U/mL) to identify a possible abnormality. But some women can have much higher levels and still not have the cancer, while …