Circulating tumour‐associated antigen detected by the monoclonal antibody HMFG2 in human epithelial ovarian cancer

A radioimmunometric sandwich assay for the tumour-associated antigen defined by the monoclonal antibody (MAb) HMFG2, has been used to measure serum levels of the antigen in 76 healthy controls, 38 ovarian carcinoma patients pre-operatively, 98 patients 2 to 6 weeks after surgery and 36 patients at relapse or in complete remission at 12 months. HMFG2 antigen levels were elevated in 33% of stage-I and 62% of II-IV patients pre-operatively; they reflected bulk of disease post-surgically and were signficantly higher in patients in relapse than in those who were in complete remission. HMFG2 antigen levels predicted the clinical course of disease in the majority of patients.