[Ca 125 in the diagnosis and follow-up of ovarian neoplasia].

: In 31 patients affected by epithelial ovary carcinomas we considered the connection between the levels of Ca 125 and the clinical evolution of disease, and examined the predicted value of Ca 125 for tumoral progression. Ca 125 was calculated at least twice, from one to seven days before the operation and, later on, every two months for an accurate follow-up. The samples of plasma (with EDTA) frozen at -20 degrees C, until the dosage moment, were collected for the analytical determination of Ca 125. The determination was carried out by IRMA technique, at sandwich, using a reference standard with arbitrary units (U/ml). In 23 of the 31 patients the levels of Ca 125 were higher than the reference value. No correlation was evident between positiveness of Ca 125 and histologic standard, whereas antigenic positiveness was higher when the stages were more advanced. With regard to the same stages, the incidence of levels greater than 35 U/ml, in the case Ic (100%), was higher (p less than 0.05), compared to the ones Ia and Ib (14.3%). Sensitivity, specificity, predicted positive value and diagnostic accuracy showed a positive correlation between clinical study and the levels of Ca 125. Only one woman, belonging to a group of relapsed patients revealed the levels of Ca 125 less than 35 U/ml. Considering a minimum increase of 50% in the levels of Ca 125, a significant prognosis in patients before the relapse diagnosis could be made by clinical or paraclinical methods.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)