Validation of serum biomarkers for detection of early-stage ovarian cancer

Abstract

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality of all the gynecologic malignancies with most patients diagnosed at late stages. Serum CA-125 is elevated in only half of patients with stages I-II. We identified 3 serum proteins (apolipoprotein A-1, transthyretin, and transferrin) for the detection of ovarian cancer and reported them combined with CA-125 to effectively detect early-stage mucinous tumors. The objectives of this study were to assess the effectiveness of the panel in detection of early-stage serous and endometrioid ovarian cancers. In all, 358 serum samples (control, benign adnexal masses, and early-stage and late-stage ovarian cancer) were obtained from the National Cancer Institute. The level of each marker was measured. Multiple logistic regression models were built to calculate sensitivity and specificity. When combined with CA-125, the panel detected early-stage cancer with a sensitivity of 96%. The highest sensitivity was seen for detection of endometrioid subtype of early-stage carcinomas (98%). A panel of 4 serum biomarkers effectively detected early-stage ovarian cancers with the highest reported overall sensitivity of 96%. Endometrioid tumors were detected at early stages with a sensitivity of 98%. Prospective clinical analysis of the panel is needed to validate it as an effective screening tool for early-stage ovarian cancer.