A retrospective study of preoperative CA 125 levels in 82 patients with ovarian cancer

Introduction: The aim of our study was to investigate preoperative serum CA 125 as a prognostic factor in patients with ovarian carcinoma. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 82 patients with ovarian carcinoma treated at our Unit between 1998 and 2000 who had a serum CA 125, evaluated by a commercially available radioimmunoassay, prior to cytoreductive surgery. We looked for an association between preoperative CA 125 and known prognostic factors of ovarian cancer. We compared outcomes of patients with preoperative CA 125 at or below to 500 U/ml with outcomes of patients with preoperative CA 125 above 500 U/ml. Results: A significant (p<0.002) correlation between stage and CA 125 serum levels was found as 16 out of 18 stage I-II patients (89%) had CA 125 level ≤500 U/ml and 36 out of 64 stage III-IV patients (56%) had CA 125 level >500 U/ml. Among stage III and IV patients there was nonstatistically significant relation between serum CA 125 and histologic grade (G1+G2 vs. G3) and residual disease (<1 cm vs. >1 cm) after primary cytoreductive surgery. Preoperative serum CA-125 level did not predict either recurrences or disease free interval. Conclusion: Preoperative CA 125 correlated well with FIGO stage but not with age, grade, residual disease after primary surgery, relapse and disease free interval.