title: Combination of cancer antigen 125 and carcinoembryonic antigen can improve ovarian cancer diagnosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the ability of the tumour marker carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in combination with cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) to differentiate between malignant ovarian and malignant non-ovarian disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients attending the Department of Gynaecology, Herlev Hospital, who underwent an "ovary lab investigation" between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2008 were included. Among a total of 640 patients, 355 had a malignant diagnosis. Preoperative CEA and CA-125 serum levels and final malignant diagnosis after surgery were extracted from the medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the patients with CEA levels > 5 ng/ml, 68% had non-ovarian malignancies. This test identified 39% of the non-ovarian cancers correctly. In patients with a CA-125/CEA ratio > 25, an ovarian cancer was found in 82%. The CA-125/CEA test identified 63% of the non-ovarian cancers correctly. The specificity increased to around 85% when the cut-off value of the CA-125/CEA ratio was increased from 25 to 100.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with an undiagnosed tumour in the pelvis, the CA-125/CEA ratio may be used to preoperatively identify a substantial fraction of patients with non-ovarian malignancies. In the study population, the specificity rose to 85% when the cut-off value was increased from 25 to 100, which highlights the usefulness of a higher cut-off level.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
authors: Copenhagen V, Denmark. sofiess83@gmail.com
authors: Sofie Sølvsten
authors: SS
authors: Sørensen
authors: Berit Jul
authors: BJ
authors: Mosgaard
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen