title: Correlation between CA125 levels after sixth cycle of chemotherapy and clinical outcome in advanced ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate CA125 levels after platinum- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in advanced ovarian carcinoma following primary cytoreduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted on 247 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  By log-rank test, PFS and OS were related to performance status (PS) (p=0.04 and p=0.00002), residual disease (p=0.00002 and p=0.001), ascites (p=0.00001 and p=0.0003) and post-chemotherapy CA125 using 10.8 U/ml as cut-off (p=0.0001 and p=0.01). PFS was related to post-chemotherapy CA125 assay (cut-off values of 7.1 U/ml (p=0.02), 18.5 U/ml (p<0.000001) and 35.0 U/ml (p=0.0001)). OS was related to FIGO stage (p=0.02). On multivariate analysis, residual disease, ascites and post-chemotherapy CA125 with any selected cut-off were independent prognostic variables for PFS, whereas residual disease, PS and post-chemotherapy CA125 (10.8 U/ml as cut-off) were independent prognostic variables for OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Post-operative CA125 using 10.8 U/ml as cut-off was an independent prognostic variable for both PFS and OS.
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy a.gadducci@med.unipi.it.
authors: Angiolo
authors: A
authors: Gadducci
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Menichetti
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Guiggi
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Margherita
authors: M
authors: Notarnicola
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
authors: Stefania
authors: S
authors: Cosio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D018394:CA-125 Antigen
keywords: CA125; Ovarian carcinoma; chemotherapy; overall survival; progression-free survival