title: CA-125 in ovarian cancer: relation between half-life, doubling time and survival.
abstract: In a retrospective study of 35 patients with stage III-IV ovarian cancer, the probability to reach a complete (CR) or partial remission (PR) was studied by comparing the initial level, half-life and normalisation time of CA-125 during chemotherapy. In 15 CR patients, pretreatment CA-125 level was lower (70 U/l, range 16-1500 U/l) than in 20 PR patients (800 U/l, range 60-9000 U/l). The median normalisation time (NT) was 6 weeks in CR (range 0.7-5.5 months) and 4 months in PR patients (range 1.2-9 months). Marker half-life was 12 days for the CR group (range 4.5-30 days) and 21 days for the PR group (range 5.5-39 days). Remission duration (r = 0.56) and log cell kill (r = 0.72) were correlated with survival. Combining initial tumour diameter, marker level and NT predicted CR in 87.5% and PR in 86%. Estimating log cell kill by combining marker half-life and doubling time gives more insight into tumour cell kinetics and individual survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Willemse
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Aalders
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: de Bruyn
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Mulder
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Sleijfer
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor