title: Level and evaluation of tumor marker CA-125 in ovarian cancer patients in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Due to the increase in morbidity and mortality rate, cancer has become an alarming threat to the human population worldwide. Since cancer is a progressive disorder, timely diagnosis is necessary to prevent/stop cancer from progressing to a severe stage. In Khyber Paktunkhwa, Pakistan, many tumors are diagnosed with endoscopy and biopsy; rare studies exist regarding the diagnosis and evaluation of ovarian cancer, based on tumor markers like CA-125.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to investigate and evaluate levels of CA-125 in hospitalized ovarian cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, a total of 63 admitted patients having ovarian cancer by biopsy were included. The level of CA-125 was determined in the blood of these patients using ELISA technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 63 patients, the level of CA-125 was high in 52% . The affected individuals were more in the group of 40-60 and the level of CA-125 was comparatively higher in patients having moderately differentiated histology than those having well differentiated and poorly differentiated tumor histology. Moreover, the highest level of CA-125 was present among the patients having serous subtype of carcinoma and the common stage of carcinoma was stage II followed by stage III, I and IV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CA-125 level was high in more than 50% of the total patients. Moreover, CA-125 elevation was more common in serous subtype and stage II cancer patients.
authors: Centre for Biotechnology and Microbiology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan E-mail : vet_sajid@yahoo.com.
authors: Bashir
authors: B
authors: Ahmad
authors: Seema
authors: S
authors: Nawaz
authors: Sajid
authors: S
authors: Ali
authors: Shumaila
authors: S
authors: Bashir
authors: Nourin
authors: N
authors: Mahmood
authors: Bushra
authors: B
authors: Gul
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D001706:Biopsy; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D010154:Pakistan; D011379:Prognosis; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018394:CA-125 Antigen