title: Usefulness of beta hCG as tumor marker in the diagnosis and follow up of patients with ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the possibility of using beta human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) as a tumor marker in ovarian cancer by determining its diagnostic and prognostic value, and see for any relationship between disease stage, histological tumor types and serum and ascitic fluid β-hCG levels, as well as to identify false positive and false negative results.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study in 60 surgically treated patients with ovarian cancer in the period 2006- 2010. The diagnosis was confirmed postoperatively based on the histopathological findings and the continuous determination of β-hCG serum levels, during the 2 postoperative years at regular quarterly intervals. The obtained results were statistically processed using multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  β-hCG showed no reliable diagnostic value in ovarian cancer. A statistically significant difference between serum β-hCG levels and different FIGO stages was noted, but not between β-hCG levels and different histological groups of tumors. There were 10.2% of false positive and 18.9% of false negative results in all measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of β-hCG as a tumor marker for ovarian cancer is justified only in patients with preoperatively high levels in advanced FIGO stages (III and IV), regardless of histological type of tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Novi Sad, Serbia. winter@eunet.rs
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djurdjevic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maksimovic
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pantelic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golubovic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Curcic
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018997:Chorionic Gonadotropin, beta Subunit, Human