S. Makhija et al., CA-125 LEVELS AFTER SURGICAL EXPLORATION AND RADIOACTIVE CHROMIC PHOSPHATE IN OVARIAN-CANCER PATIENTS, Gynecologic oncology, 63(1), 1996, pp. 85-88
Trends in CA-125 levels after completion of therapy in ovarian cancer
patients who received intraperitoneal radioactive chromic phosphate th
erapy (P-32) after primary surgical resection or second-look surgery w
ere evaluated. Ninety patients who underwent surgical exploration and
P-32 were reviewed. Twenty-nine patients were excluded due to insuffic
ient number of CA-125 levels or recurrence within 12 months, with 61 p
atients with serial CA-125 levels and no evidence of disease for 12 mo
nths available for analysis. P-32 followed initial resection in 24 pat
ients (16 Stage I, 3 Stage II, 5 Stage III). P-32 followed chemotherap
y and second-look procedures in 37 patients (4 Stage I, 3 Stage II, 27
Stage III, 3 Stage IV). Elevated CA-125 levels were present in 25 (41
%) patients within 12 months of P-32 (46% after primary exploration, 3
8% after second-look). The degree of CA-125 elevation (U/ml) was 30-10
0 (23%), 100-200 (11%), and >200 (7%). Of the 25 patients with an elev
ated CA-125, the elevation persisted more than 4 months in 11 (44%). A
ll but two patients had normal CA125 levels by 12 months. An abnormal
elevation in CA-125 was seen in 33% of patients 4 months after receivi
ng P-32 and abdominal surgery, with values ranging as high as 500 U/ml
. Although elevations in CA-125 are reported following surgery alone,
the duration of elevation appears to be longer with P-32. Therefore, p
ersistent elevations of CA-125 following P-32 between 4 and 12 months
should be judged with caution as they may not reflect recurrent diseas
e. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.