A tumour-marker combination versus second-look surgery in ovarian cancer. I. Clinical experience.
Tumour markers are substances that occur at elevated blood levels in patients with certain tumours. When their specificity and sensitivity are known, markers can be used to monitor cancer patients. No single marker is specific and sensitive for a certain tumour, so that a combination of tumour markers is used. The efficacy of CA125, ferritin, TPA and CEA was demonstrated in 162 patients with ovarian cancer. With the same combination, we found a statistically significant correlation (91.7%) between the clinical course of the disease and the marker profile in 60 further patients. Tumour markers can also help make a prognosis. In 34 patients the marker profile accurately predicted the findings at second-look surgery. Thus, biochemical monitoring may supplant the second-look procedure. Sixty-eight patients were followed for a mean of 2.7 years after completion of chemotherapy. In 95.6% of these cases the tumour-marker analysis correlated with the clinical and radiological course. This means that the end of chemotherapy depends on biochemical monitoring, and second-line therapy can be initiated sooner.
Lahousen
M
M
Stettner
H
H
Pürstner
P
P
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012086:Reoperation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor