Comparison of HE4, CA125 and ROMA algorithm in women with a pelvic mass: correlation with pathological outcome.

Abstract Objective The quality of first surgery is one of the most important prognostic factors in ovarian cancer patients. Pre-surgical distinction of benign and malignant pelvic mass plays a critical role in ovarian cancer management and survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of ROMA algorithm and of CA125 and HE4 in the triage of patients with a pelvic mass undergoing surgery, in order to discriminate benign from malignant disease. Methods Three hundred and forty-nine pre- and post-menopausal women, aged 18years or older undergoing surgery because of a pelvic mass were enrolled: serum concentrations of CA125 and HE4 were determined and ROMA was calculated for each sample. Results Median serum CA125 and HE4 levels were higher in patients with EOC compared to subjects with benign disease (p Conclusions Data presented confirm the accuracy of HE4 and of the ROMA algorithm in the distinction of ovarian carcinoma from benign disease, with a trend towards better performance for ROMA than for CA125 alone, statistically significant in postmenopausal patients.