title: Serum HE4 level is an independent prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to determine whether serum HE4 is an independent prognostic factor in ovarian cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured HE4 in pretreatment serum samples from 80 women with epithelial ovarian cancer, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results were correlated with clinical data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median serum HE4 level in ovarian cancer patients was 98.7 (range, 80.3-222.8) pg/ml. Elevated serum HE4 levels before therapy significantly correlated with a poorer progression free survival (log-rank test, P = 0.017). Multivariate analysis revealed serum HE4 to be an independent prognostic factor for progression-free survival (P = 0.036). In multivariate regression analysis, high serum HE4 levels significantly correlated with high tumor grade and serous histology (P = 0.004 and 0.017). In addition, high serum HE4 levels were significantly associated with residual tumor size and operative time (P = 0.003 and 0.033).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pretreatment serum HE4 seems to be an additional factor for predicting the outcome of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Due to its independence from established prognostic factors, serum HE4 may provide additional prognostic information.
authors.affiliation: Hematologic Malignancies Branch, Research Institute and Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Mi Hwa
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Heon-Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jong Ha
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Myong Cheol
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Sang-Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Seo
authors.forename: Chong-Woo
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Jae-Hoon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Yoon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sokbom
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D044967:Serum; D000081102:WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D011506:Proteins; D000081102:WAP Four-Disulfide Core Domain Protein 2; C569698:WFDC2 protein, human; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel