Defining the Ca 125 value to predict optimal cytoreduction in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Objective: To define the Ca 125 value to predict optimal cytoreduction in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: Observational, analytical and retrospective study of 52 consecutive patients who had surgical intervention for clinical stage III and IV epithelial ovarian cancer and who did not receive preoperative chemotherapy. These patients were attended between January 2014 and December 2018 in the Gynecology Service of the Carlos Alberto Seguin Escobedo Hospital, Arequipa, Peru. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, and the area under the ROC curve of the most appropriate Ca 125 cutoff point for optimal cytoreduction were determined. Results: The patients were on average 58 years old, the serous histologic subtype was the most frequent with 73.1%; clinical stage IIIC corresponded to 65.4% of cases and optimal cytoreduction was achieved in 61.5% of patients. The ROC curve reached 78% with Ca 125 of 716.7 U/mL as the best cut-off point for predicting optimal cytoreduction, with sensitivity of 75%, specificity 75%, positive predictive value 82.8% and negative predictive value 65.2%. Conclusion: The tumor marker Ca 125 was useful in the prediction of optimal cytoreduction in patients who underwent surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer, with the best cut-off point being 716.7 U/mL.