Tumor Markers and Their Diagnostic Significance in Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is characterized by silent progression and late-stage diagnosis. It is critical to detect and accurately diagnose the disease early to improve survival rates. Tumor markers have emerged as valuable tools in the diagnosis and management of OC, offering non-invasive and cost-effective options for screening, monitoring, and prognosis. Purpose: This paper explores the diagnostic importance of various tumor markers including CA-125, CA15-3, CA 19-9, HE4,hCG, inhibin, AFP, and LDH, and their impact on disease monitoring and treatment response assessment. Methods: Article searches were performed on PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Keywords used for the searching process were “Ovarian cancer”, “Cancer biomarkers”, “Early detection”, “Cancer diagnosis”, “CA-125”,“CA 15-3”,“CA 19-9”, “HE4”,“hCG”, “inhibin”, “AFP”, “LDH”, and others. Results: HE4, when combined with CA-125, shows improved sensitivity and specificity, particularly in early-stage detection. Additionally, hCG holds promise as a prognostic marker, aiding treatment response prediction and outcome assessment. Novel markers like microRNAs, DNA methylation patterns, and circulating tumor cells offer potential for enhanced diagnostic accuracy and personalized management. Integrating these markers into a comprehensive panel may improve sensitivity and specificity in ovarian cancer diagnosis. However, careful interpretation of tumor marker results is necessary, considering factors such as age, menopausal status, and comorbidities. Further research is needed to validate and refine diagnostic algorithms, optimizing the clinical significance of tumor markers in ovarian cancer management. In conclusion, tumor markers such as CA-125, CA15-3, CA 19-9, HE4, and hCG provide valuable insights into ovarian cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis, with the potential to enhance early detection.

Biomarkers for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer: A Review

“…In an informational study by Yokoi et al, the demarcation of early-stage ovarian cancers from benign excrescences was achieved with an emotional perceptivity of 86 and a particularity of 83 by employing a panel of eight miRNAs. Similarly, the presence of miRNAs was detected in EVs insulated from dressed ovarian cancer cell lines [6].…”

“…Globally, OC Is recognized as the most lethal gynecological cancer and ranks fifth in cancer-related deaths among women in the Western world. such as biomarker testers, could improve the chances of early detection [6].…”

“…In the cytoplasm, pre-miRNA is farther adhered to induce a miRNA duplex. The mature miRNA regulates gene expression by targeting mRNA for fractionalization or restatement suppression grounded on miRNA-mRNA complementarity [6]. Aberrant miRNA expression in OC is associated with chemoresistance, including let-7e, miR-30c, miR-125b, miR-130a, miR-335, miR-340, miR-381, and miR-520f [25].…”

Sensitivity and Specificity of Selected Biomarkers and Their Combinations in the Diagnosis of Ovarian Cancer

“…Kozak KR et al [44] concluded that combining CA125, TTR, Hb, ApoAI, and TF is expected to significantly improve early ovarian cancer detection. According to Matsas et al [45] the use of a combination of CA-125, CA15-3, CA 19-9, HE4, and hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) has the potential to improve early detection of the disease and can make a valuable contribution to diagnosing, monitoring, and prognosticating ovarian cancer [45]. Yurkovetsky Z et al [46] created a set of biomarkers consisting of CA-125, HE4, CEA, and VCAM-1 (VCAM-1-vascular cell adhesion molecule-1).…”

The role of circRNAs in regulation of drug resistance in ovarian cancer

“…The reproductive factors include early onset of menstruation, late menopause and never having been pregnant. The treatment options for ovarian cancer have surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy ( Konstantinopoulos and Matulonis, 2023 ; Matsas et al, 2023 ). Because drug resistance is one important cause of therapeutic failure, it is pivotal to explore the drug resistant mechanisms and to overcome drug resistance in ovarian cancer ( Pawlowska et al, 2023 ).…”