The value of the TAG-72 (CA 72-4) serum marker in primary diagnosis was investigated in 110 patients with histologically diagnosed ovarian cancer. A. reference group consisted of 103 patients with benign pelvic masses. Compared to the well-established CA-125, TAG-72 showed a low sensitivity of 42 % in the detection of ovarian cancer. By contrast, when the cutoff level for TAG-72 was set at 6 U/ml, it showed a very high specificity of 99 %. When the measurement of TAG-72 was combined to that of CA-125, improvements in both the specificity (as compared to a single CA-125 determination) and the sensitivity (as compared to a single TAG-72 assay) were observed. In such a combined assay, our results suggest that the best predictive value (positive and negative) was obtained if CA-125 is assigned a relatively high cut-off value (65 U/ml) in conjunction with a low cut-off level (3,2 U/ml or 4 U/ml) for TAG-72. In the present study, at threshold values of 65 U/ml respectively, a sensitivity of 86 %, a specificity of 83 % and a positive and negative predictive value of 85 % were obtained. In mucinous carcinomas of the ovary, however, the additional TAG-72 determination did not lead to a better predictive power than did CA-125 measurement alone.
EVALUATION OF TAG-72 (CA-72-4) SERUM MARKER IN PRIMARY DIAGNOSIS IN OVARIAN-CANCER - A COMPARISON WITH CA-125
GUADAGNI F;
1995-01-01
Abstract
The value of the TAG-72 (CA 72-4) serum marker in primary diagnosis was investigated in 110 patients with histologically diagnosed ovarian cancer. A. reference group consisted of 103 patients with benign pelvic masses. Compared to the well-established CA-125, TAG-72 showed a low sensitivity of 42 % in the detection of ovarian cancer. By contrast, when the cutoff level for TAG-72 was set at 6 U/ml, it showed a very high specificity of 99 %. When the measurement of TAG-72 was combined to that of CA-125, improvements in both the specificity (as compared to a single CA-125 determination) and the sensitivity (as compared to a single TAG-72 assay) were observed. In such a combined assay, our results suggest that the best predictive value (positive and negative) was obtained if CA-125 is assigned a relatively high cut-off value (65 U/ml) in conjunction with a low cut-off level (3,2 U/ml or 4 U/ml) for TAG-72. In the present study, at threshold values of 65 U/ml respectively, a sensitivity of 86 %, a specificity of 83 % and a positive and negative predictive value of 85 % were obtained. In mucinous carcinomas of the ovary, however, the additional TAG-72 determination did not lead to a better predictive power than did CA-125 measurement alone.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
