Initial Ca 125 Value as a Predictive Marker for High-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

To determine the relevance between the cut-off level of cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) level and long-term prognosis in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSCs).

Observational study.

Departments of Oncology, Medeniyet University Goztepe Education and Research Hospital, and Kartal Lutfi Kirdar Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey, from January 2017 to June 2019.

Medical records of 230 women with HGSC were reviewed randomly from two Oncology Clinics. Descriptive analysis and CA 125 marker levels were evaluated with five years of disease-free survival rate (DFS) and overall survival rate (OS). Patients were divided into groups of high and low initial CA 125 levels (cut-off ≥385U/ml). The ability of initial serum CA 125 levels in predicting the presence of marker-recurrence of ovarian cancer were analysed using ROC (Receiver operating characteristics) curve analysis.

Statistically significant predictive value of initial CA 125 level was calculated as 385U/ml (p=0.008). The 5-year DFS of high and low CA 125 levels for all stages in HGSC was statistically significant (p<0.001). The sub-group analysis demonstrated that the significant survival difference was especially in FIGO stage III. Patients with HGSC <385 U/ml had a significantly improved 5-year DFS and OS rates within stage III disease: 5-year DFS (p = 0.008) and 5-year OS (p = 0.004) according to the stratification of CA 125 level.

Initial CA 125 level appeared to be of beneficial clinical predictive value for HGSC. Key Words: Initial CA 125, Tumor marker, High-grade serous ovarian cancer, Disease-free survival, Overall survival, Predictive value.