Use of CA-125 in the diagnosis and management of endometriosis: influence of treatment with danazol.
OBJECTIVE
To compare CA-125 levels in endometriotic women with normal controls.


METHODS
The level of the oncofetal antigen CA-125 was measured in serum samples taken from 40 women, aged 21 to 33 years. Blood samples for CA-125 from 15 endometriotic women were measured before treatment, during the last 15 days of a 6-month administration of Danazol, and 3 months after treatment, and were compared to findings in 15 women without endometriosis (from whom blood samples were taken only once).


RESULTS
The CA-125 levels were significantly higher in patients with endometriosis before treatment as compared with the controls (P < .01). The administration of Danazol significantly reduced the levels of CA-125 (P < .01), and 3 months after treatment the levels of CA-125 remained significantly lower (P < .05) as compared to the respective pretreatment values.


CONCLUSIONS
The results support the view that the determination of CA-125 levels may assist in (a) evaluating women with endometriosis and (b) treatment with Danazol.
Matalliotakis
I
I
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Makrigiannakis
A
A
Karkavitsas
N
N
Psaroudakis
E
E
Froudarakis
G
G
Koumantakis
E
E
D000328:Adult; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans
D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate