title: The prognostic role of preoperative serum CA 125 levels in patients with endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have shown that elevated preoperative serum CA 125 levels strongly correlate with various clinical and pathological variables and prognosis of patients with endometrial carcinoma (EC). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of preoperative serum CA 125 levels in patients with EC.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study of all EC patients treated at our institution between 1995 and 2010 with available follow-up was conducted. The preoperative serum level of CA 125 was measured in 99 patients and evaluated in relation to various clinical and pathological variables and outcome. We used the cut-off level of 20 U/ml for CA 125 on chi-square test for categorical variables. Survival analysis was performed with the use of Kaplan Meier method, the log rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the early stages of disease the mean values of CA 125 were 35 U/ml (SD±70) for stages IA-IB and 21 U/ml (SD±29) for stage IC (Mann-Whitney test for continuous variables). In advanced stages of disease (III-IV), the values of preoperative serum CA 125 levels were statistically increased, with mean value 54 U/ml (SD±44), in comparison to stages IA-IB (p=0.02) and IC (p=0.007). According to the multivariate analysis, elevated preoperative serum CA 125 level (p=0.043) and histological tumor type (p=0.004) were independent prognostic factors for disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with EC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggests that measurement of preoperative serum CA 125 is a useful clinical tool in the prognosis of patients with EC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, University of Patras, Medical School, Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Marinos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
authors.forename: Helen P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Kourea
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tzelepi
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adonakis
authors.forename: Chrisoula D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Scopa
authors.forename: Vasilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tsapanos
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kardamakis
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kalofonos
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Decavalas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen