Serum CA 125 levels before, during and after treatment for endometriosis

G Ozakşit, Gülnur Özakşit, Ozakşit G, Cağlar T, Turhan Çağlar, T Cağlar, N Ciçek, Ciçek N, Neslihan Çiçek, Esra Kuşçu, E Kuşçu, Kuşçu E, Batioğlu S, S Batioğlu, Sertaç Batıoğlu, O Gökmen, Gökmen O, Oya Gökmen
International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics · 1995 · vol. 50(3) , pp. 269–273 · doi:10.1016/0020-7292(95)02456-m · PMID:8543110 · W2003039402
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Serum CA 125 levels decrease during GnRH agonist treatment for endometriosis, returning to pretreatment levels after therapy, and the marker's predictive value for recurrence is low.

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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess the treatment of endometriosis with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist in terms of changes to the extent of disease and to CA 125 levels as well as to recurrence during follow-up. METHODS: The levels of serum CA 125 were evaluated in 66 patients with endometriosis diagnosed and staged by laparoscopy according to the revised American Fertility. Society classification, who received a 6-month course of a GnRH agonist. Serum CA 125 levels were measured before, during (3 and 6 months after the initiation of therapy) and 6 months after cessation of therapy. RESULTS: Patients with minimal and mild endometriosis had significantly higher mean pretreatment values than control subjects in the luteal phase of the cycle or than postmenopausal women (P < 0.05), but the overall mean value was still below 35 U/ml. Levels of CA 125 fell during treatment to those found in normal controls, but rose again after the end of treatment. The sensitivity and specificity of CA 125 were 75% and 83.3%, respectively, and its positive predictive value as a marker of recurrence was 46.36%. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that CA 125 may be a reliable indicator for monitoring the efficacy of GnRH agonist treatment of endometriosis, but its value as a predictor of recurrence is low, probably due to the suppression of all CA 125 sources such as endometrium, ovaries and implants.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Buserelin CA-125 Antigen Endometriosis Endometriosis Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Buserelin Buserelin CA-125 Antigen CA-125 Antigen Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Female Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Humans Humans Predictive Value of Tests Predictive Value of Tests Recurrence

Citation neighborhood (2-hop)

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. Outer rings show 2-hop neighbours — papers reached through the immediate citers/citees. [ collapse to 1-hop ]

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