Introduction/Background To evaluate the prognostic significance of pretreatment serum CEA level in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methodology This retrospective cohort study was carried out in 326 epithelial ovarian cancer patients at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial hospital between 2008–2016. All patients had histopathological confirmed diagnosis and pretreatment measurements of serum CA125 and CEA value. Data acquired from medical records including age, FIGO stage, Histology type, tumor size and debulking status.

Statistical analysis The difference between proportions was evaluated by chi-square test. Univariate survival curves for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to compare independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS. SPSS (version 20) was used for all statistical analyses.

Results Our analysis showed the elevated pretreatment serum CEA value (cutoff 5 ng/ml) is an independent prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer. These patients has lower PFS and OS compared with patients with normal CEA value.

In multivariate analysis, FIGO stage, pretreatment CEA and CA125 value and debulking status are independent prognostic factors.

The finding of CEA value as an independent prognostic factor was exception of tradition.

CEA may carry prognostic information and this result may indicate that patients showing elevated value of pretreatment CEA could be included in high-risk group for recurrence.

Currently, this study included extended and comprehensive database of relationship between epithelial ovarian cancer and serum CEA value.

Conclusion Our study included all epithelial ovarian cancer patients with subgroup analysis and the detection of serum CEA value provided the convenience in clinical practice.

Elevated pretreatment serum CEA value is an independent prognostic factor in epithelial ovarian cancer in both univariate and multivariate analysis.

Disclosure Nothing to disclose.