title: Is CA-125 an additional help to radiologic findings for differentiation borderline ovarian tumor from stage I carcinoma?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) are difficult to differentiate from stage I carcinoma using radiological findings. Little is known about the correlation between CA-125 levels and radiological findings for predicting BOTs or carcinoma.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of CA-125, in addition to that of radiological findings, in differentiating BOTs from stage I carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study received institutional review board approval, with waiver of informed consent. We evaluated 100 patients (two groups: BOT, 58 patients; stage I carcinoma, 42 patients) using radiological findings, including location and size of each tumor, number and size of septations, papillary projections and vegetations, peritoneal implants, ascites, and preoperative CA-125 levels. The differences in CA-125 levels according to bilateral location, solid components, and thickness of septations between the two groups were evaluated using the McNemar test. Correlations of CA-125 level to size and number of septations were evaluated by the independent sample t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistical correlation was found between CA-125 level and location, size, and number of septations between the two groups. Solid components within the tumors were similar in the two groups, but the CA-125 level was significantly higher in stage I carcinoma than in BOTs. The number of septations per tumor was similar in the two groups; thick septations were more frequent in stage I carcinoma than in BOTs, and a significantly higher titer of CA-125 was found in stage I carcinoma. Discriminant analysis of solid components and thickness of septations resulted in accurate diagnosis of 70.6% of the tumors (80.6% of BOTs and 69.7% of stage I carcinomas).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CA-125 levels for solid components and thickness of septations are lower in BOTs. These may be helpful in predicting the risk of carcinoma, even if BOTs cannot be conclusively differentiated from stage I carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital, College of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Joo
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: See Hyung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen