title: Significance of CA 125 serum level in discrimination between benign and malignant masses in the pelvis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to confirm that preoperative CA 125 serum level can be useful for discrimination between benign and malignant masses in the pelvis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative CA 125 serum level was analyzed retrospectively in 121 patients who had surgery because of a malignant ovarian tumor and in 91 patients with benign masses in the pelvis. The cutoff serum level CA 125 between benign and malignant masses in the pelvis was 35 and 65 IU/ml.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of those patients with a malignant ovarian tumor, 65.3% had menopause whereas only 31.5% of those with a benign tumor did so. The average age of the patients with a malignant tumor was 54.2 years and of those with a benign tumor 46.8 years. The preoperative CA 125 serum level was higher than 35 IU/ml in 80.2% and higher than 65 IU/ml in 72.7% of all analyzed patients with a malignant tumor, whereas it was 23.9% and 9.8% respectively in patients with a benign mass. In early stage ovarian cancer disease (borderline stage, I/II) the preoperative CA 125 serum level was higher than 35 IU/ml in 67.8% and in 52.5% higher than 65 IU/ml. In advanced stages (III/IV), it was higher than 35 and 65 IU/ml in 96.1%. After therapy the CA 125 serum level dropped below 35 IU/ml in 70.8% and after three chemotherapy courses in 78.1%. A CA 125 level less than 35 IU/ml was achieved by therapy in 84.2% patients with an early stage disease (I/II) and in 62.1% in advanced stages (III/IV). The calculated sensitivity was 80.2% and negative 74.5% (CA 125 higher than 35 IU/ml) and 72.7%, 90.2%, 90.7%, 71.6% respectively (CA 125 higher than 65 IU/ml).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  . Preoperative determination of CA 125 is a very useful method to discriminate between benign and malignant masses in the pelvis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Hospital Osijek, Osijek, Croatia.
authors.forename: Miodrag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milojkovic
authors.forename: Zlatko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hrgovic
authors.forename: Igor
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hrgovic
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jonat
authors.forename: Nicolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maass
authors.forename: Damir
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Buković
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018282:Cystadenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen