Is it standard practice to have patient do a CA125 blood test with an ovarian cyst?

[embarrassingproblem1]

This seems a bit odd to me. I had an ultrasound and was diagnosed with having a hemorrhagic ovarian cyst. Gynae told me nothing to worry about and it will probably shrink (it's about 2cm x 2cms) and to treat with painkillers (it's causing me some cramping pain and I need to go to the loo constantly).

I told my GP because the hospital hadn't informed her of the cyst (went in as an A&E emergency due to the pain).

GP has told me to get a CA125 blood test but my sister (who is a doctor in another country) has said that this blood test is normally only if diagnosed with ovarian cancer or if cancer highly suspected via ultrasound.

Is this test standard for all women in the UK who have cysts? I don't want to have the test if I don't need it as apparently it will come back raised anyway due to ovarian cyst and is not very reliable. I don't want to worry unnecessarily and have lots of investigations when Gynae has said its a very common cyst and as above, will either disappear or need surgery, but no vascularity and looks like it is hemorrhagic. I have another ultrasound in a few weeks so will know more then but I trust the Gynae who said it's not a complex cyst and all my blood markers so far have been normal.

Totally standard in my experience - I currently have an endometrioma on one ovary and a normal fluid filled cyst on the other, both of which I am having removed in a couple of weeks, and have had regular cysts in the past that have gone away on their own and was sent for CA125 blood test every time. Hope you're not in too much pain and try not to worry!

.....this blood test is normally only if diagnosed with ovarian cancer or if cancer highly suspected via ultrasound. No No No No No!

CA125 is a protein marker that shows the body is fighting an infection - could be endo, fibroids, cysts... all manner of things.

It's completely normal to have the test - it's just part and parcel of the other blood tests - it doesn't mean you'll be investigated for other ailments.

It's carried out as proof/confirmation of recovery really - they'll do a blood test before anything else because a) it's cheaper and b) it's non-invasive, so it's an 'easy' way of seeing whether your cyst has disappeared.

Don't worry about it, it's standard.

I have a cyst on my ovary now, about the size of an orange and they do my CA125 every time they scan it, seems totally standard in my experience!

I thought it was normal - I had one done years ago when being investigated. I had 'chocolate' ovarian cysts (ie with endometriosis - might be the older, more colloquial term for a haemorrhagic cyst?) and so had mildly raised markers.

IIRC normal is up to about 30, endometriosis around the 100-200 level, malignancy 1000. It's an indicative test not a diagnostic one, so it's not immediately panic stations if it comes back high - and then they will recommend further investigations.

Now, I might not have remembered totally accurately (I'm pretty sure broad thrust is right, else I wouldn't have posted). Apologies in advance for any part that's wrong!