title: Serum CA-125 levels in women with endometriosis.
abstract: Forty-two women with laparoscopically-confirmed pelvic endometriosis (assessed according to the American Fertility Society modified classification) had serum levels of the cell-surface antigen CA-125 measured before, during and after medical therapy with nafarelin acetate or danazol combined with follow-up laparoscopic surgery or laparotomy. Serum levels before treatment (39.3 [SE 6.6] U/ml) were elevated above accepted normal levels in many subjects, and these were highly significantly suppressed during medical therapy with both nafarlin and danazol (13.1 [SE 1.5] U/ml at 5 months); t = 3.198; p = 0.002). Levels tended to rise following therapy but a clear correlation between a rise in serum CA-125 and recurrence of disease was not demonstrated. In 3 individuals treated with nafarelin a dramatic rise in serum CA-125 levels was seen after 2 weeks of therapy. This did not correlate with any exacerbation of symptoms or with any rise in serum oestradiol or with pretreatment AFS scoring. Serum CA-125 levels provide a potential approach to the monitoring of treatment and recurrence in a substantial proportion of women with endometriosis, although preliminary evidence suggests that there will be individual exceptions to any broad correlations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Fraser
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: McCarron
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Markham
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D003613:Danazol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017274:Nafarelin
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D017274:Nafarelin; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D003613:Danazol