VEGF-A and i-NOS are prognostic markers for clinical outcome in serous ovarian cancer patients with macroscopic complete tumour resection (R0). Hence, pre-therapeutic assessment of VEGF-A as predictive factor for an antiangiogenic therapy might be of clinical value.

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The present paper reports on the value of gynecological-clinical examinations and preoperative ultrasonography in the diagnosis of benign and malignant ovarian tumors. Out of a group of 42 patients, in all of whom "ovarian cyst" had only been diagnosed clinically, 14% were not found to be suffering from this condition at surgery. In a comparison of preoperative gynecological-clinical and ultrasonographic findings (in 68 patients) it proved possible to determine the side on which the tumor was localized, its actual size, the extent to which it was delimited from the uterus, and its consistency (whether solid or cystic) significantly better by ultrasonography (p less than 0,01). However, the results of this study indicate that 2% of the cases diagnosed ultrasonographically as "benign ovarian tumor/ovarian cyst" are likely to be ovarian carcinomas. In the group of patients with malignant ovarian tumors also (42 patients), there was a significant difference in the preoperative diagnosis "suspected ovarian carcinoma". On the basis of clinical findings it was only diagnosed in 45%, while it was found in 74% by ultrasonography (p less than 0,01). In 3 cases with ovarian carcinoma there was no pathologic palpation finding, and in only one other case was a "suspected ovarian cyst" diagnosed. By means of ultrasonography, on the other hand, all of the cases of ovarian carcinoma were classified either as "ovarian carcinoma" or as "cystic-solid/complex abdominal tumor". The most frequent diagnoses on the basis of the sonographic scan (approx. 90%) were cystic-solid ovarian tumors, followed by cystic-ventriculated ovarian tumors with solid portions and finally solid ovarian tumors with only a few cystic portions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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