Serum CA‐125 Levels m Women with Endometriosis

Ian S. Fraser, I S Fraser, Gay McCarron, G McCarron, R Markham, Robert Markham
The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology · 1989 · vol. 29(4) , pp. 416–420 · doi:10.1111/j.1479-828x.1989.tb01779.x · PMID:2534343 · W2032158331
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Serum CA-125 levels were elevated in women with endometriosis and significantly suppressed by medical therapy, but a clear correlation between CA-125 rise and disease recurrence was not demonstrated.

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Abstract

Forty-two women with laparoscopically-confirmed pelvic endometriosis (assessed according to the American Fertility Society modified classification) had serum levels of the cell-surface antigen CA-125 measured before, during and after medical therapy with nafarelin acetate or danazol combined with follow-up laparoscopic surgery or laparotomy. Serum levels before treatment (39.3 [SE 6.6] U/ml) were elevated above accepted normal levels in many subjects, and these were highly significantly suppressed during medical therapy with both nafarlin and danazol (13.1 [SE 1.5] U/ml at 5 months); t = 3.198; p = 0.002). Levels tended to rise following therapy but a clear correlation between a rise in serum CA-125 and recurrence of disease was not demonstrated. In 3 individuals treated with nafarelin a dramatic rise in serum CA-125 levels was seen after 2 weeks of therapy. This did not correlate with any exacerbation of symptoms or with any rise in serum oestradiol or with pretreatment AFS scoring. Serum CA-125 levels provide a potential approach to the monitoring of treatment and recurrence in a substantial proportion of women with endometriosis, although preliminary evidence suggests that there will be individual exceptions to any broad correlations.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Endometriosis Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate Danazol Danazol Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Humans Nafarelin

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