Correlation between CA125 levels after sixth cycle of chemotherapy and clinical outcome in advanced ovarian carcinoma

Abstract

Aim: To correlate CA125 levels after platinum- and paclitaxel-based chemotherapy with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in advanced ovarian carcinoma following primary cytoreduction.

Materials and methods: The study was conducted on 247 patients.

Results: By log-rank test, PFS and OS were related to performance status (PS) (p=0.04 and p=0.00002), residual disease (p=0.00002 and p=0.001), ascites (p=0.00001 and p=0.0003) and post-chemotherapy CA125 using 10.8 U/ml as cut-off (p=0.0001 and p=0.01). PFS was related to post-chemotherapy CA125 assay (cut-off values of 7.1 U/ml (p=0.02), 18.5 U/ml (p<0.000001) and 35.0 U/ml (p=0.0001)). OS was related to FIGO stage (p=0.02). On multivariate analysis, residual disease, ascites and post-chemotherapy CA125 with any selected cut-off were independent prognostic variables for PFS, whereas residual disease, PS and post-chemotherapy CA125 (10.8 U/ml as cut-off) were independent prognostic variables for OS.

Conclusion: Post-operative CA125 using 10.8 U/ml as cut-off was an independent prognostic variable for both PFS and OS.

Keywords: CA125; Ovarian carcinoma; chemotherapy; overall survival; progression-free survival.