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Tumor Markers

CA 125 in men: raised without a tumour, in liver cirrhosis and inflammation

CA 125, cancer antigen 125, is according to the NVKC a substance made by normal body cells and by tumour cells too. The NVKC calls CA 125 a tumour marker because cells in an ovarian tumour produce extra amounts of it.

According to the NVKC, in people without a tumour CA 125 can be raised in liver cirrhosis, scarring of the liver, or in inflammation of membranes such as the peritoneum, the pleura or the pericardium. Only a blood test shows whether CA 125 is raised.

The NVKC gives a reference value for CA 125 of 35 kU/L or less.

Doctor's Assessment Included

According to the NVKC, CA 125 is a tumour marker made by normal cells and tumour cells, used to follow the effect of treatment for ovarian cancer. According to the NVKC, a normal CA 125 cannot rule out ovarian cancer.

  • The NVKC gives a reference value for CA 125 of 35 kU/L or less; Star-SHL uses 0 to 35 kE/l, Unilabs 0 to 30.2 kU/l and Diagnostiek voor U below 30 U/mL.
  • According to the NVKC, CA 125 can also be raised in pregnancy and benign tumours, and in people without a tumour in liver cirrhosis and inflammation of the peritoneum, pleura or pericardium.
  • According to MedlinePlus, CA 125 is in general not used to screen healthy women without a diagnosis for ovarian cancer.

Reference Ranges

Male
kU/l
Normal < 35 High

Reference ranges may vary between laboratories. When you order a test, a BIG-registered doctor assesses your personal results in context. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.

Check your own value

CA-125: what Dutch laboratories use

Reference ranges by group, in kU/l
Star-shl · Everyone 0–35 kE/l
Unilabs · Everyone 0.0–30.2 kU/l
0 30.2
Diagnostiek voor U · Everyone · a limit, not a range < 30 U/mL
0 33.22 kU/l

Source: Star-shl

Source: Unilabs

Source: Diagnostiek voor U

Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.

CA-125: what this test measures

A CA 125 test measures the amount of cancer antigen 125 in the blood in kU/l. Unilabs measures CA 125 in Li-heparin plasma with a one-step immunometric immunoassay and uses 0 to 30.2 kU/l, while Star-SHL uses 0 to 35 kE/l.

CA-125: why this value matters

A CA 125 result needs explaining, because according to the NVKC CA 125 is made by normal cells and can also be raised in conditions without a tumour. According to the NVKC, the measurement methods also differ between laboratories, so results from different laboratories cannot simply be compared.

CA-125: how the blood test works

Referral
No GP referral needed. After the order we arrange the referral through ZorgDomein, within one business day; orders after 17:00 or at the weekend start on the next business day. ZorgDomein emails a barcode, and that barcode is what the draw site needs.
The draw
A blood draw from a vein in the arm, at a partner laboratory's draw site. No home kit, no finger prick.
Where
650+ draw sites run by independent laboratories across the Netherlands. Draw sites

CA-125: when is testing worthwhile?

According to the NVKC, CA 125 is measured to follow the effect of treatment for ovarian cancer, and according to the NVKC the doctor has it measured in patients with ovarian cancer or an increased chance of it.

CA-125: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

A low or normal CA 125 lies between 0 and 35 kE/l at Star-SHL and between 0 and 30.2 kU/l at Unilabs. The NVKC names only a fall during treatment for ovarian cancer as a meaningful downward change: according to the NVKC such a fall generally means the cancer is taking to the treatment.

High Levels

In ovarian cancer and in benign tumours CA 125 can rise according to the NVKC, and in people without a tumour also in liver cirrhosis or in inflammation of the peritoneum, pleura or pericardium.

CA-125: causes of a low or high value

What lowers the value

  • Effective treatment of ovarian cancer

    If CA 125 falls during treatment for ovarian cancer, this generally means the cancer is responding to the treatment.

What raises the value

  • Ovarian cancer

    Cells in an ovarian tumour produce extra CA 125, which is why CA 125 is used as a marker for ovarian cancer.

  • Endometriosis

    In a woman without a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, a high CA 125 can also indicate diseases that are not cancer, such as endometriosis.

  • Ovarian cyst

    Other diseases can also put more CA 125 in the blood, for example a fluid-filled sac on the ovary.

  • Liver cirrhosis

    In people without a tumour, CA 125 can be raised in liver cirrhosis.

  • Inflammation of the peritoneum, pleura or pericardium

    In people without a tumour, CA 125 can be raised in inflammation of various membranes such as the peritoneum, pleura or pericardium.

CA-125: lifestyle and this value

If CA 125 is repeated during treatment for ovarian cancer, the NVKC considers it important that the same laboratory does the test each time, because measurement methods differ. Discuss a raised CA 125 with your GP.

CA-125: frequently asked questions

Can CA 125 be raised in men?

The NVKC names liver cirrhosis and inflammation of the peritoneum, pleura or pericardium as situations in which CA 125 can be raised in people without a tumour, without tying them to a sex.

CA-125: sources

  1. Star-shl, Labbepalingen (referentiewaarden per bepaling), star-shl.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) star-shl.nl
  2. Unilabs, Bepalingenklapper (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenklapper.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenklapper.nl
  3. Diagnostiek voor U, eLabgids (Referentiewaarden DvU), diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) diagnostiek.getincontrol.eu
  4. NVKC, Alles over testen: CA 125, allesovertesten.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-16 (retrieved 2026) allesovertesten.nl
  5. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, CA-125 blood test, medlineplus.gov, review date 2024-10-14, geraadpleegd 2026-10-16 (retrieved 2026) medlineplus.gov
  6. NHG, Thuisarts: Ik krijg onderzoeken in het ziekenhuis om te weten of ik eierstok-kanker heb, thuisarts.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-16 (retrieved 2026) thuisarts.nl

Tests with related values

These panels measure values from the same category as this marker.

Prostate

Men Over 40 Panel

Age-appropriate screening including testosterone and PSA.

HbA1c (Glycated Hemoglobin) PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) TSH (Thyroid Stimulating Hormone) Triglycerides Creatinine Free T4 (Thyroxine) LDL Cholesterol SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) Total Cholesterol Vitamin D (25-OH) Free Testosterone Total Testosterone hs-CRP (High Sensitivity CRP) HDL Cholesterol eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate) Cholesterol/HDL Ratio Non-HDL Cholesterol LDL/HDL Ratio
€279,-

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