Introduction/Background The precise roles of CA125 in preoperative evaluations of endometrial cancer patient remain controversial. In this study, we investigated diagnostic and prognostic applications of serum CA125 for endometrial cancer.

Methodology This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the institution. Serum CA125 levels were measured before therapy during pre-treatment examinations, and were then determined during treatment and at scheduled follow-up monitoring in patients with elevated baseline serum CA125 levels. A lower level of 35 U/ml was used as the cut-off for normal values of serum CA125 levels. The association between serum CA125 and clinicopathological factors were analyzed.

Results A total of 215 patients were treated for endometrial cancer. The median age was 60 years. Fifty-two patients (24.2%) relapsed at the time of the last follow-up and the median follow-up time was 92 months (1–144). Elevated serum CA125 levels were detected in 69 patients (32.1%) and were associated with histological type (p=0.02), higher grade (p<0.01), higher stage (p < 0.01), increased depth of myometrial invasion (p < 0.01), lymph node metastasis (p<0.01), distant metastasis (p<0.01), and relapse of disease (p<0.01). Elevated serum CA125 levels were not associated with age, menopausal status, body mass index, or OS. Fifty-six out of 69 patients (81.2%) with elevated CA125 serum levels have specifically achieved remission, and serum CA125 levels have turned down to normal levels in all cases. Eleven patients (19.6%) had relapses among these patients and serum CA125 level has been elevated again in 8 (72.7%) cases.

Conclusion Serum CA125 level seemed to be a useful prognostic indicator for endometrial cancer.

Disclosures This work was supported by no grant. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.