Loading...
The serum tumor marker CA 125 lacks sensitivity and specificity as a screening tool but is helpful for monitoring chemotherapy responses and for detecting relapses several months before clinical signs are evident. However, the prognostic value of this information is controversial. In a collaborative trial of the British Medical Research Council and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, researchers evaluated outcomes of early versus delayed treatment administered on the basis of elevated CA 125 concentrations.
A total of 529 women who were in complete clinical remission after first-line platinum-based therapy were followed with clinical examinations and CA 125 assays every 3 months. Patients and their providers were …