A comparative evaluation of the ability of serum CA 125, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, CA 50, CA 72-4 and TATI assays in reflecting the course of disease in patients with ovarian carcinoma

The Authors compared the ability of serum CA 125, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, CA 50, CA 72-4 and Tumor-Associated Trypsin Inhibitor (TATI) assays in reflecting the disease course in a group of 27 patients with ovarian carcinoma. Before initial surgery, elevated levels of CA 125 (greater than 65 U/ml) were found in 27 patients, of CA 19-9 (greater than 40 U/ml) in 7, of CA 15-3 (greater than 32 U/ml) in 17, of CA 50 (greater than 20 U/ml) in 7, of CA 72-4 (greater than 3.8 U/ml) in 20, and of TATI (greater than 22 ng/ml) in 13. For each marker, only patients with elevated antigen levels at diagnosis were considered. CA 125, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, CA 50, CA 72-4 and TATI levels correlated with disease regression, stability or progression in 123/147 (83.7%), 24/34 (70.6%), 57/87 (65.5%), 26/38 (68.4%), 87/120 (72.5%), 33/75 (44.0%) instances respectively. Alterations in CA 125 levels correlated with disease status better than alterations in each other antigen levels. However serial measurement of the other tumor markers could be of help in the monitoring of patients with normal CA 125 values before initial surgery.     

Comparison between serum CA 125 and CA 19-9 assays and tissular OC 125 and 1116NS 19-9 reactivity in malignant and benign ovarian tumors.

This preliminary study included 25 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) (18 serous, 3 serous-mucinous, 1 endometrioid, 2 undifferentiated carcinomas and 1 malignant Brenner carcinoma); 2 patients with borderline ovarian tumors and 20 patients with benign ovarian tumors (9 benign cystic teratomas, 6 serous cystoadenomas and 5 mucinous cystoadenomas). Blood samples for the measurement of CA 125 and CA 19-9 were drawn from all patients before surgery. Serum CA 125 (Reference Value-RV = 65 U/ml) and CA 19-9 (RV = 40 U/ml) were measured with IRMAs using the monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) OC 125 and 1116NS 19-9. The same antigens were detected on paraffin-embedded tissue sections by immunocytochemistry with the avidin-biotin complex method employing the same MoAbs used for serum IRMAs. Among the 25 patients with EOC serum CA 125 levels were elevated in 20: tissular OC 125 reactivity was observed in 15 (75%) of them. Of the 5 EOC patients with normal CA 125 levels, 4 showed OC 125 reactivity. Only 2 of the 25 EOC patients had elevated serum CA 19-9 levels: one of them had tissular 1116 NS 19-9 reactivity. Among the 23 patients with normal serum CA 19-9 levels only 5 had immunocytochemical reactivity for this antigen. The 2 patients with borderline ovarian tumors had negative serum CA 125 and CA 19-9 assay: tissular OC 125 reactivity was observed in both patients, while 1116 NS 19-9 reactivity was detected in only one.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Preoperative evaluation of CA 125 and CA 19-9 serum levels in patients with ovarian masses

Serum CA 125 and CA 19-9 were presurgically measured in 40 patients with ovarian carcinoma and in 108 with benign ovarian pathologies. The sensitivity for ovarian carcinoma of CA 125 (cut-off value = 65 U/ml) and CA 19-9 (cut-off value = 40 U/ml) were 67.5% and 37.5% respectively. In particular serum CA 125 was elevated in 71.9% of non-mucinous and in 50% of mucinous carcinomas, while serum CA 19-9 was high in 25% of non-mucinous and in 87.5% of mucinous malignancies. The correlation of CA 19-9 with mucinous histotype was significant. Elevated serum levels of CA 125 and CA 19-9 were observed respectively in 14.7% and in 13.8% of benign adnexal masses. The percentages of elevated serum marker levels were significantly higher in patients with ovarian carcinoma than in women bearing benign ovarian pathology (P less than 0.001 for CA 125; P less than 0.01 for CA 19-9). Serum CA 125 and CA 19-9 alone cannot clarify the nature of an adnexal mass. However, the measurement of serum levels of these markers could give additional information to other diagnostic methods, such as ultrasonography, for discriminating benign from malignant ovarian pathologies.     

Serum CA 125, carcinoembryonic antigen, and CA 19-9 as tumor markers in borderline ovarian tumors

OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were to analyze preoperative serum levels of CA 125, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA 19-9 in patients with borderline ovarian tumors and to investigate if routine assessment of these markers in follow-up may lead to earlier detection of recurrence. METHODS: For patient identification a database was used, in which data from all patients treated for gynecologic malignancies in the Department of Gynecologic Oncology, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands, are compiled. Between 1982 and 1997, 44 patients with borderline ovarian tumors were identified. Clinical data and serum CA-125 and CEA levels were retrieved from the database. CA 19-9 levels were determined in retrospect in available stored preoperative (24 patients) and follow-up (43 patients) serum samples. RESULTS: Preoperative CA 125 levels were elevated in 8 of 33 (24%), CEA levels in 3 of 32 (9%), and CA 19-9 levels in 11 of 24 (46%) cases. In patients with mucinous tumors preoperative CA 19-9 was more frequently elevated (8/14, 57%) than CA 125 (3/20, 15%) (P = 0.02) or CEA (2/18, 11%) (P = 0.02). Complete follow-up serum CA 125, CEA, and CA 19-9 levels were available for 43 of 44 patients. Median follow-up was 84 months (range, 22-204). During follow-up two patients (5%) had recurrent disease. In one patient CA 125 became elevated at the time of recurrence; in the other patient (in retrospect) the CA 19-9 level did not return to normal after surgery, but kept rising, preceding clinical symptoms of recurrence for 13 months. CONCLUSIONS: If one chooses to use serum markers in follow-up of mucinous borderline ovarian tumors CA 19-9 should be included. Measurement of serum tumor markers in the follow-up of patients with borderline ovarian tumors may lead to earlier detection of recurrence in only a very small proportion of patients, while the clinical value of earlier detection of recurrence remains to be established.     

Comparison between tissue and serum content of CA 125, CA 19-9, and carcinoembryonic antigen in ovarian tumors

Tumor markers CA 125, CA 19-9, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were detected by immunohistochemistry in paraffin embedded tissue samples obtained from two different locations in 35 ovarian tumors. In addition, serum concentrations of these tumor markers were measured before cytoreductive surgery. The staining reaction was heterogeneous in different parts of the tumor as well as within the parenchyma. Of the marker positive tumors, a staining reaction was observed in both tissue samples in only 10 of 22 cases for CA 125, in eight of 13 cases for CEA, and in three of eight cases for CA 19-9. Eighty-one percent of the patients whose tumor was positive for CA 125 also showed elevated serum levels of this marker. A poor correlation was found between tissue and circulating CA 19-9 levels. CEA was detected in 28% of the tumors and seemed to be valuable only for monitoring in rare cases of ovarian cancer. For purposes of selecting a marker for monitoring of patients with ovarian carcinoma, immunohistochemistry has a predictive value for CA 125 only. In order to better define the marker expressed in a tumor, it is necessary to examine at least two samples of different parts of the malignant tissue.     

Clinical usefulness of sialyl SSEA-1 antigen as tumor marker for ovarian cancer as compared with CA125, CA19-9, TPA, IAP, CEA and ferritin

In order to determine the clinical significance of sialyl SSEA-1 antigen, we compared its usefulness as a tumor marker for ovarian cancer with simultaneously measured CA125, CA19-9, TPA, IAP, CEA and ferritin. The sialyl SSEA-1 antigen in serum was measured by radioimmunoassay with an "FH-6" Otsuka Kit. The immunohistochemical localization of sialyl SSEA-1 antigen in ovarian carcinoma tissues was determined by an immunoperoxidase method using FH-6 monoclonal antibody. Among fifty-one patients with ovarian cancer, the incidence of elevated serum levels was 54.9% with sialyl SSEA-1 antigen, 90.2% with CA125, 48.8% with CA19-9, 78.0% with TPA, 73.1% with IAP, 17.1% with CEA and 63.4% with ferritin. On the other hand, among the patients with uterine malignancies and gynecologic benign tumors, the incidence of elevated sialyl SSEA-1 antigen levels in serum was lower than that of other tumour markers. In the patients with ovarian cancer, the serum levels of sialyl SSEA-1 antigen increased in accordance with the advance of the clinical stage and were also correlated with the effect of therapy. In the examination of immunohistochemical localization of sialyl SSEA-1 antigen, a positive reaction occurred in 10 out of 30 ovarian carcinoma specimens. Intense staining appeared in the secretory materials, in the luminal surface of the glands, and in the cytoplasm of cells. Thus, sialyl SSEA-1 antigen appears to be a useful tumor marker for the diagnosis of ovarian cancer, especially when measured simultaneously with CA125, CA19-9, TPA, ferritin and IAP.     

Clinical use of CA 125 and its combination assay with other tumor marker in patients with ovarian carcinoma

The serum levels of CA 125 and CA 19-9 were determined by an immunoradiometric assay employing the monoclonal antibody OC 125 and anti-CA 19-9 antibody in 88 patients with ovarian carcinoma. When a cut-off value of CA 125 was set below 35 U/ml in the control group, serum elevated levels of CA 125 were found in 86.7% of the patients with surgically demonstrable ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma, in 100% (4/4 cases) of clear-cell carcinoma, in 50% (2/4 cases) of endometrioid carcinoma, in 100% (5/5 cases) of undifferentiated carcinoma, and in 80% of the recurrent cases. Using a cut-off value of 37 U/ml, serum elevated levels of CA 19-9 were detected in 68.2% of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma, in 28.9% of serous cystadenocarcinoma, in 75% (3/4 cases) of metastatic ovarian carcinoma, and in 37.5% of the recurrent cases. A statistical analysis of the combination assay using CA 125, CA 19-9, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), immunosuppressive acidic protein (IAP), ferritin and CEA was carried out by multivariate method (discriminatory analysis) in 45 patients with ovarian carcinoma and 50 healthy subjects. As a result before treatment, positive rates of a single tumor marker were 79.7% with CA 125, 42.7% with CA-19-9, 73.1% with IAP, 61.7% with TPA, 64.3% with ferritin and 25.4% with CEA, respectively. A combination assay of these markers was useful for detecting identification of ovarian carcinoma, by which it gave a higher accuracy of ovarian cancer detection.     

Correlation of CA125 and CA19-9 serum levels with clinical course and second-look findings in patients with ovarian carcinoma

CA125 and CA19-9 levels were serially evaluated in blood samples from 21 patients during and after integrated surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment for ovarian carcinoma. Serial measurement of CA125 and CA19-9 correlated with clinical course of disease in 89.7 and 72.7% of instances, respectively. The decrease of serum CA125 and/or CA19-9 in the normal range at the end of chemotherapy does not exclude the presence of residual disease, which can be accurately evaluated only by second-look laparotomy. Serum CA125 and/or CA19-9 can raise some months before clinical and ultrasonographic detection of recurrence. CA125 is the most reliable marker in ovarian carcinoma; however, the concomitant measurement of CA19-9 could offer some benefit in the monitoring of patients with this neoplasia.     

The role of cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) in the management of ovarian epithelial carcinomas

From June 1, 1984, to May 31, 1985, 98 cases of epithelial ovarian carcinomas were assessed and followed prospectively using a new murine monoclonal antibody OC 125 which detects the antigen CA 125. Serous tumors comprised 43.7% of cases, mucinous tumors 20.4%, endometrioid tumors 16%, and other epithelial tumors 19.4%. Tumors of low malignant potential and benign epithelial cystadenomas were not included. For this study the upper limit of normal for CA 125 was 20 U/ml. Thirty-six were new cases. In this group the initial CA 125 levels greater than 20 U/ml, greater than 35 U/ml, and greater than 65 U/ml were 97.2, 94.4, and 86.1%, respectively. When mucinous types were excluded the specificity rate did not change significantly. There was no significant difference in initial CA 125 levels between early stages I and II and late stages III and IV. No correlation between tumor bulk and the serum level of antigen was observed. The remaining 62 patients were being followed and in this group 50 were considered to be in remission. Six cases in the remission group had elevated CA 125 levels greater than 20 U/ml and 5 of these developed clinical recurrence. The correlation between the clinical status and concordant fluctuations in the serum levels of CA 125 in all histological types was 87.8 and 93.5% when 10 cases of mucinous tumors were excluded. The contingency coefficient was 0.746. Seven SLOs were performed. All had CA 125 levels less than 20 U/ml and the mean was 6.9 U/ml. Only 1 case was positive with microscopic disease. In our experience CA 125 was invaluable in the management and follow-up of patients with ovarian carcinoma especially for the early detection of recurrent disease and for the monitoring of patients on therapy.     

Sialyl-Tn, sialyl-Lewis Xi, CA 19-9, CA 125, carcinoembryonic antigen, and tissue polypeptide antigen in differentiating ovarian cancer from benign tumors.

Serum sialyl-Tn, sialyl-Lewis Xi, CA 19-9, CA 125, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and tissue polypeptide antigen were measured in 65 women with early-stage ovarian cancer (45 stage I and 20 stage II cases) and 317 with benign pelvic masses. As a single assay, sialyl-Tn showed the best sensitivity and specificity, 46 and 92%, respectively. CA 19-9 detected the greatest number of cancer patients but had the lowest specificity. The combination of sialyl-Tn, CA 125, tissue polypeptide antigen, and CEA seemed to perform the best, with a sensitivity and specificity of 71 and 76%, respectively. The combination of sialyl-Tn, CA 125, and tissue polypeptide antigen gave similar results and may be more cost-effective. However, one-fifth of the patients with early-stage cancer still showed up as false negatives even with use of the six markers in combination. Approaches other than serum assay alone will be needed to detect all malignant pelvic masses at an early stage.     

术前测定血清CA125、CA199、CA724、CEA和GM-CSF在鉴别附件包块性质中的作用

探讨术前测定患者血清CA12 5、CA19 9、CA72 4、CEA和GM -CSF水平在鉴别附件包块良恶性质中的作用。方法 :74例附件包块患者术前 1周内采外周血 ,用固相免疫放射法测定各种肿瘤标志物浓度 ,并与术后组织学诊断比较。计算各标志物单独和联合应用诊断卵巢癌的相应诊断参数。结果 :( 1)CA12 5(临界值 70U/ml)鉴别卵巢肿瘤性质的敏感性和特异性分别为 85 71%和 82 61% ,CA19 9(临界值 30U/ml)分别为 4 2 86%和 73 33% ,CA72 4 (临界值 3 8U/ml)分别为 53 57%和 90 90 % ,CEA(临界值 5ng/ml)分别为 4 6 4 3%和 4 8 89% ;( 2 )联合应用肿瘤标志物 :CA12 5联合CA19 9的敏感性和特异性分别为 89 2 9%和 73 33% ;CA12 5联合CA72 4的敏感性和特异性分别为 89 2 9%和 75 56% ;CA12 5联合CEA的敏感性和特异性分别为 92 86%和 4 0 0 0 % ;( 3)如果去除 9例子宫内膜异位症 ,CA12 5、CA19 9、CA72 4和CEA的特异性分别增至 89 19% ,80 55% ,94 2 9%和4 7 2 2 %。结论 :此项研究应用的肿瘤标志物中以CA12 5最为敏感。将CA12 5临界值定为 70U/ml时诊断效果最佳。CA72 4的特异性最高 ,但诊断卵巢癌的敏感性低。CEA的诊断价值有限 ,GM -CSF则无价值。CA12 5与其他肿瘤标志物联合检测时诊断的特异性会部分丧失。?     

CA125 Serum Levels and Secondary Laparotomy in Epithelial Ovarian Tumours

CA125 serum levels were assayed prior to 57 secondary laparotomies for ovarian epithelial tumours. Tumour was present in all 16 patients with an elevated level greater than 35 U/ml but the absence of tumour was incorrectly predicted in 15 of the 33 (45.5%) patients with CA125 levels less than 35 U/ml. For these patients the CA125 level was elevated in 14 of 20 (70%) with tumour greater than 1.5 cm, 1 of 7 (14.3%) with macroscopic tumour less than or equal to 1.5 cm and 1 of 4 (25%) with microscopic tumour. Tumour was resectable to less than or equal to 0.5 cm in 7 of 12 (58.3%) patients with CA125 less than 35 U/ml, 2 of 4 (50%) with CA125 in the range 35-100 U/ml and only 1 of 11 (9.1%) with CA125 greater than 100 U/ml (p less than .05). The CA125 level was elevated in 1 of 13 (7.7%) patients with less than 15 cm3 of tumour compared with 16 of 18 (88.9%) patients with 15 cm3 of tumour or more (p less than .0001). The correlation between the CA125 serum level and the tumour volume was almost statistically significant (r = +0.31, p = .053). The level of CA125 was normal in all 8 patients with mucinous tumours--4 of whom were found to have tumour at secondary surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Tumour-associated antigen CA 125 in patients with ovarian cancer

The serum levels of antigen CA 125 expressed by epithelial ovarian carcinoma were measured in 27 postmenopausal women with ovarian tumours and in 16 controls. Increased serum levels of CA 125 were found in nine (75%) out of 12 patients with ovarian cancer; in three with stage I disease levels were not elevated. No significant difference was found in the concentration of CA 125 detected in peripheral or ovarian venous blood. Decreased antigen levels were found 6-30 weeks after radical operation and cytostatic chemotherapy in the ovarian cancer group. The results indicate the value of measuring CA 125 as a tumour marker in the follow-up of ovarian cancer.     

Combined Assay of Serum Levels of CA125 and CA19-9 in Endometrial Carcinoma

Serum levels of CA125 and CA19-9 were examined in 225 cases with endometrial carcinoma before treatment and 32 cases with recurrent endometrial carcinoma. The positive rates in the 225 cases were 27.1% for CA125, 24.0% for CA19-9, and 38.7% for the combined assay. The serum levels of both CA125 and CA19-9 significantly increased with surgical staging. The presence of lymph node metastasis and extrauterine spread exhibited a marked influence on the serum levels of both CA125 and CA19-9. Myometrial invasion and vessel permeation also increased serum levels of CA125, whereas peritoneal cytology and adnexal metastasis exhibited no influence on CA125 levels or CA19-9 levels. Twenty-five of 33 cases who showed either more than 100 U/ml of CA125 level or more than 100 U/ml of CA19-9 level were classified as surgical stage III or IV. The combined assay demonstrated a 71.9% positive rate at the time of detection of the recurrence (65.6% for CA125, 43.7% for CA19-9). In 34.4% of the 32 recurrent cases, elevated levels of the tumor markers were the first sign of recurrence. These data indicate that the use of CA19-9 in combination with CA125 is noteworthy in the management of patients with endometrial carcinoma.     

The value of CA 125 determination in the serum of patients with ovarian cancer

The circulating ovarian cancer associated antigen CA 125 was determined in serum of 63 patients with ovarian malignancies by radioimmunometric solid phase assay using the monoclonal antibody OC 125 as catcher and tracer. The results of 41 patients with 43 active tumour situations were compared with the CA 125 serum levels of 27 patients without recurrence after therapy of ovarian cancer and 49 benign ovarian tumours. Significant differences exist between these three groups (p less than 0.001) with elevated values (greater than 35 U/ml) in 84 per cent in ovarian carcinoma, 22 per cent in benign tumours and nought per cent in woman without recurrence in follow-up. The pre-operative sensitivity in ovarian cancer is 93 per cent (in epithelial carcinoma 96 per cent) with a distinct dependence of the CA 125 serum levels on the stage of the disease (stage III and IV versus stage I and II; p less than 0.01). A positive correlation of CA 125 values to clinical status was found in 82 per cent in follow-up. Increasing values of CA 125 can detect the recurrence any months earlier than the clinical examination. Decreasing serum levels in chemotherapy don't reflect the objective tumour remission in every case. Because of elevated values in benign and inflammatory adnexal tumours and the relative low sensitivity in borderline cases (three of seven patients greater than 35 U/ml) the CA 125 assay seems not be suitable for a screening method. However it is a substantial amplification in control of therapeutic success and an early detection of recurrence of ovarian cancer disease.     

Serum CA 125 in epithelial ovarian cancer. A longitudinal study

Plasma levels of CA 125 were determined in 113 patients with ovarian cancer of epithelial origin. Of these, 69 patients had CA 125 measured before the first laparotomy and 84.6% of them had a CA 125 level greater than 35 U/ml. In 87 of the 113 patients whose tumour was producing CA 125, a good correlation was observed between the CA 125 levels and the clinical follow-up: 95.7% of the patients in remission had levels less than 35 U/ml, whereas all the patients with no change or with a progressive disease had levels greater than 35 U/ml. Furthermore in recurrent disease the levels of CA 125 were also increased (greater than 35 U/ml) in 92.3% of the patients. Thus, CA 125 measurements at regular intervals are of great clinical value in following the evolution of a tumour or the success of a therapy, but unfortunately do not allow detection of an ovarian tumour at an early stage.     

Analysis of CA 125 assay system and its diagnostic significance in gynecologic tumors

CA125 antigen levels were measured in patients with ovarian cancer (54 cases) by the RIA method using a monoclonal antibody OC125 and were examined as a marker for ovarian cancer. The upper normal limit of CA125 of 35 U/ml was derived from the mean value (15.7 U/ml)+2SD (9.3 U/ml) of CA125 in healthy controls. The mean value for CA125 in patients with ovarian cancer (1160 +/- 1850 U/ml) was statistically (p less than 0.001) higher than those of healthy controls, benign ovarian tumors (28 +/- 20 U/ml) and cervical cancers (226 +/- 526 U/ml). Elevated CA125 levels were also found in the early pregnant stage and endometriosis, but these cases showed not so high CA125 values as those of ovarian cancers. In addition, CA125 levels were not clearly affected by the menstrual cycle. Among ovarian malignancies, the elevated CA125 values were specifically demonstrated in serous cystadenocarcinoma (positivity 89%) and markedly low in mucinous cystadenocarcinoma (positivity 16%). No positive correlation of CA125 values with the clinical stage (FIGO) were found in any ovarian cancer patients. The rise and fall of CA125 levels corresponded closely with progression and regression of cancer patients with positive CA125 levels. In conclusion, serum CA125 determinations may be useful in patients with ovarian cancer (except for mucinous type) for diagnosis and for monitoring the results of the treatment.     

Tumor markers CA 125, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix

Between 1978-1987, 439 patients with primary cervical carcinoma were admitted to our department. Seventy-seven patients (17.5%) had cervical adenocarcinoma and are reviewed in this retrospective study. Serial serum samples of these 77 patients were analyzed for cancer antigen 125 (CA 125), squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen. Before treatment, only elevated serum CA 125 levels varied directly with the clinical stage of disease. In stages IB and II disease (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO]), the incidence of elevated serum CA 125 levels was highest in patients with adenosquamous tumor. Serum marker levels, measured 3 months after therapy, concurred with the treatment results. At that time, 17 of the 23 cases (74%) with at least one elevated serum marker level either had residual disease (N = 9) or developed recurrent disease during follow-up (N = 8), compared with six of the 40 cases (15%) with normal serum marker levels (P less than .001). Increasing serum marker levels during follow-up coincided with or preceded the clinical detection of recurrent disease. Tumor relapse, clinically located in the vaginal vault, occurred concomitant with a rise of at least one serum marker level in six of the seven cases (86%). All 15 patients with abdominal recurrence showed elevation of CA 125. In progressive disease, very high serum CA 125, squamous cell carcinoma antigen, and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were determined in patients with adenosquamous tumor, whereas patients with adenocarcinoma demonstrated only high CA 125 levels. We conclude that all three markers are important for monitoring patients with cervical adenocarcinoma.     

Is there a correlation between tumor marker panel and tumor size and histopathology in well staged patients with borderline ovarian tumors?

AIMS: To investigate whether there is a correlation between serum tumor markers panel (CA 125, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)) and tumor size and histopathology in well staged patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs). METHODS: Four tumor markers (CA 125, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, and CEA) were analysed clinically in 60 well staged patients with borderline ovarian tumor, for this retrospective observational study. RESULTS: Most patients had serous histology and early stage disease, and the mean age at the time of diagnosis was 40.70 years (range: 19-73). Twenty-nine patients (48.3%) had high CA 125 levels (>35 U/l), 15 patients (25%) had high levels of CEA (>4 ng/ml), 12 patients (20%) had high levels of CA 19-9 (>37 U/ml), and 9 patients (15%) had high levels of CA 15-3 (>30 ng/ml) at the time of initial surgery. The positive rate of CA 125, CA 19-9, CA 15-3, and CEA in serous tumor were 57.9, 7.9, 7.9 and 15.8%, respectively. These figures were 31.8, 40.9, 27.3 and 40.9% in mucinous tumor. The positive rate of CA 125 in the serous group was statistically significantly higher than that in the mucinous group, while the positive rates for CA 19-9 and CEA in mucinous histology was significantly higher than those in serous tumors. In case of grouping the tumor size as <4, 4.1-10 and >10 cm, the mean serum levels of tumor markers had significantly increased by increasing tumor size (p<0.05 for CA 125, and CA 19-9, p>0.05 for CA 15-3, and CEA). CONCLUSION: The high levels of tumor markers, especially for CA 125 and CA 19-9, may indicate the larger tumor size. The elevation of serum CA 125 may suggest serous tumors, while the high level of serum CA 19-9 and CEA may indicate mucinous BOTs.     

The concomitant determination of different serum tumor markers in epithelial ovarian cancer: relevance for monitoring the response to chemotherapy and follow-up of patients.

The levels of CA125, CA19.9, CA15.3 CA72.4, and TATI were serially measured during and after chemotherapy in 43 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer having elevated concentrations of one or more of the antigens before initial surgery. The value of 35 U/ml was chosen as cutoff level of CA125 for the monitoring of disease. Changes in the serum levels of CA125, CA19.9, CA15.3, CA72.4, and TATI correlated with the clinical course of disease in 87.4% of 215, 76.3% of 80, 71.3% of 122, 76.0% of 167, and 48.5% of 101 instances, respectively. After the sixth course of monthly primary chemotherapy, elevated antigen levels were strong predictors of persistent disease, while normal antigen values were associated with both positive and negative second-look findings. It is worth noting that antigen levels above the cut-off limits before the third course, but still in the normal range after the sixth course, seemed to be predictive of positive second-look findings. Among patients with elevated antigen levels at diagnosis, clinical detection of neoplastic progression after treatment was stopped was preceded by an elevation of serum CA125 in 93.3% of 15 patients, of serum CA19.9 in 80.0% of 5 patients, of serum CA15.3 in 66.7% of 9 patients, of serum CA72.4 in 81.8% of 11 patients, and of serum TATI in 40% of 10 patients. In patients with positive CA125 assay at diagnosis, the concomitant evaluation of the other antigens did not seem to be of additional benefit for monitoring epithelial ovarian cancer. However, the measurement of the other tumor markers could represent an interesting biochemical tool for the management of patients with negative CA125 assay. In particular the evaluation of serum CA19.9 or CA72.4 could be very useful in the monitoring of patients with mucinous ovarian cancer, which often fails to express CA125 antigen.