title: Tumor markers panel and tumor size of ovarian dermoid tumors in reproductive age.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study whether there is any relationship between a serum tumor markers panel (CA19-9, CA 125, CEA, CA15-3 and AFP) and the tumor size in patients with ovarian dermoid cyst in reproductive age.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Between January 2006-2007, 160 patients were operated in the Department of Infertility, Zekai Tahir Burak Women Health Hospital due to ovarian dermoid cyst.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data and serum tumor markers levels of operated patients were retrieved from the records of the department. This was a retrospective study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-four patients (37.6 %) had high levels of CA 19-9 , twenty-seven patients (19.3 %) had high CA 125 levels, eleven patients (9.4 %) had high levels of CEA, five patients (4 %) had high levels of CA 15-3 and one patient (0.9 %) had high AFP levels at the time of initial surgery. The bilaterality rate was 8.1 %. When grouping the tumor size as 10 cm, the mean serum levels of tumor markers had significantly increased by increasing the tumor size (p<0.05) for CA 19-9, CA 125, CEA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggests that serum CA 19-9 is probably more accurate marker than other tumor markers in the ovarian dermoid cysts. Also, the most important parameter that affects CA 19-9 elevation in the dermoid cysts, is the tumor size. As the tumor becomes bigger, this relationship becomes more distinct (Tab. 2, Ref. 15).
authors.affiliation: Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Research and Education Hospital, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Ankara, Turkey. drturgutvar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Var
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Tonguc
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ugur
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altinbas
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tokmak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000032:analysis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002272:Carcinoembryonic Antigen; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins