title: Serum C-reactive protein as independent prognostic variable in patients with ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as prognostic variable in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multicenter study, preoperative serum CRP was evaluated in 623 patients with EOC. Results were correlated with clinical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean (SD) preoperative serum CRP was 3.6 (4.8) mg/dL. Serum CRP was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage (P < 0.001) and postoperative residual tumor mass (P < 0.001) but not with histologic grade (P = 0.1) and type (P = 0.7), patients' age (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.05; P = 0.2), and serum CA 125 (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.02; P = 0.6). Patients with platinum-resistant EOC had significantly higher CRP serum levels compared with patients with platinum-sensitive EOC [6.0 (6.6) mg/dL versus 2.8 (3.8) mg/dL; P < 0.001]. Higher International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage (P < 0.001), presence of postoperative residual tumor mass (P < 0.001), tumor grade (P = 0.001), serum CA 125 (P = 0.03), and serum CRP (P = 0.001) were independently associated with overall survival. Patients with serum CRP < or =1 mg/dL versus >1 mg/dL had an overall 5-year survival of 82% versus 58.5% (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum CRP can be seen as a novel, widely available independent prognostic variable of ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. lukas.hefler@meduniwien.ac.at
authors.forename: Lukas A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Hefler
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Concin
authors.forename: Gerda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hofstetter
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marth
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mustea
authors.forename: Jalid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sehouli
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zeillinger
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leipold
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lass
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Clemens B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Tempfer
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reinthaller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002097:C-Reactive Protein