MACROPHAGE-COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR AS A TUMOR-MARKER FOR EPITHELIALOVARIAN-CANCER

Objective: To determine the serum level of macrophage colony-stimulati ng factor in ovarian cancer patients in order to evaluate its role as a marker for ovarian cancer. Methods: Serum macrophage colony-stimulat ing factor levels were assayed in 69 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, 55 with benign ovarian tumors, and 634 healthy individuals, in cluding 398 women, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results : The average serum macrophage colony-stimulating factor level was 754 .4 +/- 153.9 U/mL in healthy females; 1056 U/mL (mean plus 1.96 standa rd deviations) was considered to be the upper limit of normal. Serum m acrophage colony-stimulating factor levels were significantly elevated in patients with ovarian cancer (average 1460.5 +/- 1006.2 U/mL; P < .001) and exceeded 1056 U/mL in 42 of the 69 patients with ovarian can cer (61%). No differences in levels were observed among the histologic types. No definite relationship was found between serum levels of mac rophage colony-stimulating factor and those of CA 125. We found that 9 6% of the patients with ovarian cancer had high serum levels of macrop hage colony-stimulating factor and/or CA 125 values. There was no sign ificant difference in the levels of macrophage colony-stimulating fact or between patients with benign ovarian tumors and healthy controls. O nly 7.3% of the group with benign tumors had levels exceeding 1056 U/m L. Conclusion: Macrophage colony-stimulating factor is a marker for ov arian cancer. Determination of serum levels can be useful in detecting ovarian cancer, particularly in combination with CA 125.