INCREASE OF SERUM TUMOR-MARKER CONCENTRATIONS BY INTERFERON-ALPHA

Since it has been shown that the addition of interferon-alpha to ovari an cancer cells in vitro leads to an increase of CA125 in the cell cul ture supernatant it was the aim of our study to investigate whether th e CA125 serum concentrations of patients with ovarian tumors could als o be increased by injection of interferon-alpha in vivo. Nine patients with cystic ovarian tumors received 6 million IU interferon-alpha sub cutaneously. CA125, CA15-3, and CEA were measured in defined time inte rvals during the following three days after interferon-alpha injection . In one patients with T1a N0 M0 ovarian cancer with normal serum leve ls of all markers before interferon-alpha application a massive increa se of CA125 serum concentration was detected three days after injectio n. In the other 8 patients (5 benign tumors, 3 ovarian cancers) no mar ker increase was observed. In concordance with observations in cell cu ltures an increase of CA125 serum concentration after interferon-alpha , injection was seen in one patient with early ovarian cancer and init ially normal CA125 levels. If by the injection of interferon-alpha an increase of CA125 could regularly be induced in ovarian cancer patient s, earlier detection of ovarian cancer seems possible.