Serum levels of CA 125 and TPS during treatment of ovarian cancer

Two hundred and sixty ovarian cancer patients (including all FIGO stages) w ere enrolled in a prospective multicentre study. In this interim study we a nalyzed 206 patients receiving combined chemotherapy for at least 3 courses for two-year overall survival (OS). CA 125 and TPS were applied for monito ring treatment and the relationship between marker levels, marker changes a nd clinical assessments was established. Preoperative CA 125 or TPS levels were not correlated with OS in FIGO stage I and II patients. After. 3 chemo therapy courses the marker levels were not correlated with OS in stage I an d II. Partial debulking in stage II patients was a bad prognostic factor: C A 125 ol TPS levels (using a CA 125 discrimination level of 25 kU/l and a T PS discrimination level of 100 U/l) after 3 courses of chemotherapy were hi ghly significantly correlated with OS in FIGO stages III and IV patients: C A 125 two-year OS 67% versus 26% (p<0.0001) and TPS two-year OS 55% versus 22% (p <0.0001). The prognostic value of CA 125 levels after 3 chemotherapy courses could be further increased by combining CA 125 and TPS levels. Whe n both CA 125 and TPS levels were below their respective discrimination lev els, the two-year overall survival was 75%. When both levels were above the discrimination level, the two-year overall survival was only 17%.