AN EVALUATION OF CA125 LEVELS IN 291 NORMAL POSTMENOPAUSAL AND 20 ENDOMETRIAL ADENOCARCINOMA-BEARING WOMEN BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY

Two hundred ninety-one normal postmenopausal women without hormone rep lacement therapy were studied for their blood levels of CA125. The lev els ranged from 0.1 to 31.8 U/ml (mean +/- SEM 5.5 +/- 0.3 U/ml). Twen ty patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma who had preoperative CA125 levels below 50 U/ml were also studied. The levels of CA125 in the la tter group ranged from 2.1 to 43.0 U/ml (17.2 +/- 2.3 U/ml) and the di fference of the mean value of the two groups was statistically signifi cant (P < 0.001). The CA125 levels in normal postmenopausal women have a weak negative correlation with their age (CA125 = -0.025 x age + 6. 9, P < 0.001), whereas in cancer patients, a positive correlation was seen (CA125 = 0.6 x age + 11.5, P < 0.05). Patients with endometrial c ancer showed a decrease in their CA125 levels after a hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy (6.5 +/- 1.2 U/ml, P < 0.0001). These results c onfirmed that the normal range of the CA125 of menopausal women is muc h lower than that of cycling women and each laboratory should establis h its own normal range for the population. Also, it was suggested that CA125 levels which apparently fall within the normal range but are hi gh, however, for the respective age, may indicate that an extensive se arch for an endometrial malignancy is necessary. (C) 1997 Elsevier Sci ence Ireland Ltd.