- With Mayo Clinic medical oncologist
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
"As a practicing medical oncologist, I meet with patients and families every day to help manage their course through this disease called cancer. This experience provides unique insight into the needs of cancer patients, their families and loved ones and brings into sharp focus the need for reliable information to be readily available in terms that can be easily understood." — Dr. Timothy Moynihan
Dr. Timothy Moynihan believes that providing consumers accurate, timely information on the broad, complex topic of cancer is the biggest challenge facing medical Web sites. As the guiding force behind our cancer coverage, he makes sure Mayo Clinic meets the test.
Dr. Moynihan, born in Las Vegas, N.M., but raised in Denver, is a consultant in medical oncology at Mayo Clinic and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology, and hospice and palliative care medicine. He did his medical oncology training at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and then went on to the University of Minnesota and St. Paul Regions Medical Center in St. Paul, Minn., for seven years before moving to Mayo Clinic in 1999. Dr. Moynihan is director of the palliative care program at Mayo Clinic and associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic hospice.
Dr. Moynihan currently serves as the education chair for the Department of Medical Oncology and fellowship program director. Four times he has been selected as Teacher of the Year in medical oncology and elected to the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. Past honors include distinguished clinical teacher at the University of Minnesota Medical School, best internist at the Medical College of Wisconsin and recipient of The Upjohn Achievement Award for Excellence in Medicine. He serves on several national committees for the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
"The Internet provides a ready source of information on a wide range of topics of interest to those affected by cancer," Dr. Moynihan says. "The difficulty is trying to decide which sites provide reputable information and which information is relevant to each individual patient. The long history and tradition of excellence associated with Mayo Clinic assures you that information provided will be reliable, up-to-date and comprehensive."
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Question
Elevated CA 125 level: A sign of ovarian cancer?
Does an elevated CA 125 level always indicate ovarian cancer? Or can it mean something else?
Answer
from Timothy Moynihan, M.D.
Women with ovarian cancer often have an elevated level of cancer antigen 125 (CA 125). But an elevated CA 125 level doesn't mean you have ovarian cancer. Many other conditions also can cause an elevated CA 125 level, including:
- Endometriosis
- Pancreatitis
- Pregnancy
- Normal menstruation
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
Also, some women with ovarian cancer never have an elevated CA 125 level. Because of these limitations, this test isn't useful as a routine screening for ovarian cancer.
CA 125 readings are primarily used to assess how ovarian cancer is responding to treatment. In women receiving chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, a decreasing CA 125 level often indicates that the cancer is responding to treatment. A rising level may indicate a return or continued growth of the cancer.
If you have an elevated CA 125 level but haven't been diagnosed with cancer, your doctor may recommend further testing to look for the cause.
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