Clinical correlations of ovarian cancer antigen NB/70K: a preliminary report

NB/70K is a glycoprotein extracted from human ovarian cancer tissue. It was measurable postoperatively in the plasma of 89% of 127 women with epithelial cancer of the ovary; 60% of these women had levels in excess of 11 kU/mL compared with 5% of control subjects. The level of NB/70K correlated with FIGO stage and amount of residual tumor, but not with pathology subtype or tumor differentiation. Elevated NB/70K plasma levels also were found in patients with benign gynecologic neoplasms and a variety of systemic carcinomas, and modest elevation was observed in association with hepatic and renal decompensation. The highest levels, found preoperatively in women with ovarian cancer, decreased after tumor resection. These preliminary data indicate that the NB/70K assay has high sensitivity in epithelial ovarian cancer, and plasma levels appear to correlate with tumor volume.