Role of CA125 and abdominal pelvic computerized axial tomogram in the monitoring of chemotherapy treatment of ovarian cancer

Abstract

Twenty four patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, who were treated by chemotherapy after debulking surgery, were monitored by serial monthly CA125 estimation and half-yearly computerized axial tomogram (CAT) of abdomen and pelvis. The efficiency of these monitoring methods and that of clinical examination were compared. The use of CA125 alone was superior to the use of clinical assessment alone in the detection of tumor progression (p<0.01). The addition of the expensive routine half-yearly CAT examination did not improve the tumor detection rate (p>0.05). Hence, CAT examination should not be used routinely to detect recurrence of tumor in patients without a raised CA125 level. However, in patients with increased CA125 level, CAT examination had a place in locating and in determining the extent of the tumor which in selected patients may enable us to make changes in therapy without laparotomy and in other patients may help us to make a better assessment on whether further debulking is possible.