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Prognostic Significance of Oncofetal Antigens in Patients with Ovarian Cancer
Author(s) -
Koh S.H.,
Cauchi M.N.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1983.tb00166.x
Subject(s) - carcinoembryonic antigen , oncofetal antigen , medicine , alpha fetoprotein , antigen , gastroenterology , cancer , oncology , ovarian cancer , gynecology , immunology , immunotherapy , tumor associated antigen , hepatocellular carcinoma
Summary: The prognostic significance of elevated oncofetal antigens, namely carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alphafetoprotein (AFP), and β subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin (β HCG) were studied in 39 patients with cancer of the ovary. At low cut‐off levels, (CEA > 2.5 μ g/1, AFP > 5 μg/1, and β HCG > 3 IU/1) the median survival was 21 months in patients with one or more positive markers compared to >43 months in patients without markers. At high cut‐off points (namely CEA >10 μg/1, AFP > 10 μg/1 and β HCG > 10 IU/1), the median survival of patients having one or more positive markers was 10 months compared to > 46 months in patients with no markers. Using linear regression and Logrank analysis, the difference between the observed and expected death rate was significant (P < 0.05 at low cut‐off levels, and < 0.01 at high cut‐off levels). These results indicate that patients who have one or more positive oncofetal markers on presentation are likely to have a significantly worse prognosis than patients without markers. Moreover, higher levels of oncofetal markers are associated with correspondingly worse prognosis.