title: The prognostic significance of the half-life of serum CA 125 in patients responding to chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: Various prognostic factors were studied in 29 patients with stage III or IV ovarian cancer who responded to initial chemotherapy after initial diagnostic surgery. The half-life of CA 125 in serum during initial chemotherapy was the most important prognostic indicator for survival (P less than 0.001) and the chance of achieving complete remission (P = 0.012). A CA 125 half-life of less than 20 days, 20-40 days and greater than 40 days appears to identify patients with a good, intermediate or poor prognosis, the two year actuarial survival being 76%, 48% and 0% respectively. The change of achieving a complete remission was 15% and 67% respectively for patients with a serum CA 125 half-life of greater than 20 or less than 20 days.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Royal Marsden Hospital, London.
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Roberts
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wiltshaw
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mundy
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Fryatt
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: McCready
mesh_terms: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate