TPS AND CA-125 LEVELS IN SERUM, CYST FLUID AND ASCITES OF PATIENTS WITH EPITHELIAL OVARIAN NEOPLASMS

The serum markers TPS and CA 125 were determined in serum, cyst fluid and ascites in ovarian carcinoma patients and in patients with benign ovarian neoplasms. The levels of TPS and CA 125 were significantly hig her in malignant and benign tumor cysts and ascitic fluids than in cor responding patients sera (p<0.005 for TPS, p<0,0001 for CA 125). The c oncentrations of cyst fluid TPS and CA 125 were also usually higher in cancer patients than in patients with benign ovarian neoplasms. TPS a nd CA 125 were elevated in a higher proportion of ovarian cancer patie nts sera than in benign ovarian patients' sera (p<0.001 for both marke rs). Serum preoperative TPS and CA 125 levels were significantly highe r in patients with advanced disease (FIGO stage III/IV) than in patien ts with early stage disease (FIGO stage I/II, p=0.002, p<0.05 respecti vely). When histology was considered, small differences in the market signals were noted for TPS and CA 125 with the exception of mucinous n eoplasms where TPS showed a markedly higher signal. These results sugg est that the combined use of TPS and CA 125 could be of additive value for the identification of epithelial ovarian neoplasms. Postsurgical TPS sera levels achieved the normal values faster than CA 125 suggesti ng that determination of TPS concentration before and 3 days after sur gery seems to be valuable for the evaluation of radical surgery.