Relationship between saliva and serum CA 125 in women with and without epithelial ovarian cancer

To determine the distribution of saliva CA 125 levels in women with and without ovarian cancer, and to determine whether there is a correlation between saliva and serum CA 125 levels in either group.

CA 125 levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay in the serum and saliva of 50 women with epithelial ovarian cancer known to have elevated serum CA 125 levels (above 35 U/mL) and in 50 women seen for benign gynecologic conditions.

Serum and saliva CA 125 values followed a log-normal distribution in both groups. The medians for serum and saliva CA 125 levels in cancer patients were 578 and 1379 U/mL, respectively. In the benign group, the median CA 125 value was 11 U/mL in serum and 994 U/mL in saliva. The correlation between saliva and serum CA 125 levels was not statistically significant in either the cancer (r = 0.003) or the benign group (r = 0.025).

There is no relationship between saliva and serum CA 125 levels in women with either epithelial ovarian cancer or benign gynecologic conditions.