Comparison of the effects of leuprorelin acetate and danazol treatments on serum CA-125 levels in women with endometriosis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of danazol and leuprorelin acetate on CA-125 levels during treatment for endometriosis.


METHODS
Fifty women with laparoscopically diagnosed and treated endometriosis, and 50 women without pelvic disease as a control group. Following surgical treatment, 35 women with endometriosis were divided into two groups. The first group (20 women) received 200 mg danazol three times daily for 6 months; the second group (15 women) received 3.75 mg leuprorelin acetate depot every 28 days for 6 months. Serum CA-125 levels were measured before medical treatment, during the last 15 days of the 6-month treatment course, and 3 months after treatment.


RESULTS
Serum CA-125 levels were significantly higher in women with endometriosis than in women in the control group. Before treatment, CA-125 levels in patients with stage III/IV endometriosis were significantly higher than those in stage I/II endometriosis. Six months of danazol or leuprorelin acetate depot treatment decreased serum CA-125 levels. Three months after stopping danazol, CA-125 levels remained significantly lower than pretreatment levels. On the other hand, 3 months after stopping leuprorelin acetate, CA-125 levels returned to pretreatment levels.


CONCLUSIONS
(a) Danazol and leuprorelin acetate are equally effective in the treatment of endometriosis. (b) Moreover, the results support the view that the determination of CA-125 levels may assist in evaluating progress of endometriosis treatment.
Matalliotakis
Ioannis M
IM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
Arici
Aydin
A
Goumenou
Anastasia G
AG
Katassos
Theodoros
T
Karkavitsas
Nicolas
N
Koumantakis
Evgenios E
EE
D000328:Adult; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003613:Danazol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016729:Leuprolide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D016729:Leuprolide; D003613:Danazol