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Query: UMLS:C1140680 (ovarian cancer)
 28,141 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The literature on tumor distinctive markers in ovarian cancer has been reviewed. Various immunological and biochemical approaches have been attempted for the diagnosis and management of patients with ovarian cancer. The complex spectrum of antigens that can be detected in human ovarian cancer consists of several tumor-associated antigens, fetal or carcinoembryonic antigens, carcinoplacental markers, and normal tissue antigens. We have described and partially characterized two ovarian tumor-associated antigens designated as OCAA and OCAA-1, which seem to have potential for the immunodiagnosis of ovarian cancer. Several other investigators have carried out similar studies, but in general their serological characterization of these antigens has been limited. The well-defined embryonic proteins that have been examined in the ovarian cancer include carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), alpha-fetoprotein (alpha-fp), beta-oncofetal antigen (BOFA), Regan and Nagao isoenzymes and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The presence of pregnancy-zone protein (PZP) has also been reported in ovarian cancer. In addition, several normal tissue components include fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), alpha 1-globulin, and urokinase have been found associated with ovarian cancer. Both humoral antibodies and cell-mediated immune responses against tumor-associated antigens can be measured in ovarian cancer patients. In addition, serum factors, which block cellular immune reactions, have been identified. However, progress in this area has been hampered by the complexity of the antigens associated with ovarian tumors and the lack of standardized, well-characterized sources of antigens or target cells. Enzymes, especially those involved in glycoprotein biosynthesis, (eg, glycoprotein:glycosyltransferases and glycosidase) have been explored as possible early biochemical indicators of ovarian neoplasia. A serum specific deficiency of alpha-L-fucosidase has been found in patients with ovarian cancers. Of all the glycoprotein:glycosyltransferases studied, galactosyltransferase has been found to be the best enzyme marker for ovarian adenocarcinoma. The determination of serum levels of this enzyme reflected the clinical status of the patient with respect of tumor progression as well as tumor burden. Recently, assay of a phosphodiesterase, which specifically hydrolyzes cytidine 5'-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid, has been found promising in the detection and management of patients with ovarian cancer.
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PMID:Tumor markers for ovarian cancer. 9 53

Human placental lactogen (HPL or HCS), the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-HCG), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured by a specific radioimmunoassay in plasma of 65 patients with ovarian cancer. Fifty-one patients had epithelial tumors, while 14 had germ cell tumors. It was found that 47 patients (72 per cent) had high levels of plasma HPL, 29 patients (45 per cent) had high levels of plasma beta-HCG, and 34 patients (52 per cent) had high levels of plasma CEA, but there was no correlation between these protein marker levels in different patients. Twenty of these patients were studied before and after operation and during chemotherapy and/or radiotherpy. There was no consistent correlation between these marker levels and the course of the disease. These data suggest that measurement of HPL, beta-HCG, and CEA in sera of patients with ovarian cancer is not of value in assessing the clinical status of the patients or in determining the effect of therapy.
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PMID:The significance of measurement of human placental lactogen, human chorionic gonadotropin, and carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with ovarian carcinoma. 18 4

Among 833 cancer patients whose sera were investigated for Regan isoenzyme and among 1,319 cancer patients from a different population whose sera were assayed for human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), those patients with neoplasms of the testis or ovary showed the highest frequency of both placental proteins. Among another 22 patients with ovarian cancer, for whom both placental proteins were measured, 59% showed Regan isoenzyme and 68% showed HCG in ascitic fluids, whereas the figures were 65% and 30%, respectively, for sera. In 55% of both fluids and sera, there was a positive correlation of Regan isoenzyme with HCG (positive or negative). Almost invariably, the ascitic fluid was richer in Regan isoenzyme and HCG than the serum when both were collected on the same day. Progressively increasing levels of each placental protein generally correlated with the spread of the disease, though there were instances when only one was expressed. Evidence indicated the existence of two forms of alkaline phosphatase in ovarian cancer, Regan and non-Regan; the latter was assumed to be of fetal origin. Ultrastructural studies of one ovarian cancer revealed a morphologic entity, i.e., mitochondria enveloped by inverted tubules of endoplasmic reticulum.
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PMID:Regan isoenzyme and human chorionic gonadotropin in ovarian cancer. 123 37

In addition to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and its free subunits, low molecular weight hCG beta-related fragments have been previously demonstrated in pregnancy urine and in the urine of patients with trophoblastic and nontrophoblastic tumors. The urinary beta-core fragment in particular is focused on as a new tumor marker in gynecological malignancies. We developed an EIA for the beta-core fragment using the monoclonal antibody (MoAb229) which specifically recognized the core portion of hCG beta. By measuring with MoAb229-EIA, it was clearly revealed that urine obtained from normal pregnant women as well as from patients with choriocarcinoma and nontrophoblastic ovarian cancer contains a large amount of the beta-core fragment when separated on Sephadex G-100. We conclude that our MoAb229-EIA is a useful tool to use in detecting the beta-core fragment, a new tumor marker, in the urine of gynecological cancer patients.
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PMID:[Development of highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay to measure urinary beta-core fragment in patients with gynecological cancer]. 169 Feb 53

Some characteristics of cell biology and the production of various tumor markers were examined using 8 human ovarian cancer cell lines of epithelial origin. Structural abnormalities of chromosomes 1, 3, and 6 were relatively common karyotypic changes among the cell lines. Cytoplasmic estradiol or progesterone receptor was not detected in any of the cell lines. A significant heterogeneity of the production of various tumor markers (ferritin, tissue peptide antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigens 125, and 19-9) was noted among the cell lines grown in culture medium supplemented with serum. Three of the 8 cell lines were adapted to proliferate in completely synthetic serum-free culture medium. In addition to marker substances described above, small amounts of progesterone or human chorionic gonadotropin were produced in 2 of the 3 cell lines grown in serum-free culture medium. These results indicate that various marker substances including tumor markers are not produced consistently by human ovarian cancer cells of epithelial origin.
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PMID:Production of various marker substances in human ovarian cancer cell lines of epithelial origin. 207 56

The advent of monoclonal technology has increased the potential utility of antibody-dependent tumor marker assays in gynecologic oncology. The availability of unlimited quantities of several pure monoclonal antibodies directed against novel epitopes on tumor-associated antigens has permitted development of highly sensitive assays for serum markers. Traditional assays for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), NB/70K and TA-4 have been improved. CA 125 has provided a useful first-generation marker for monitoring ovarian cancer and triaging patients with pelvic masses, despite limitations in sensitivity and specificity. In the next decade, the challenge is to identify new markers that will complement CA 125 in monitoring ovarian cancer and facilitate screening for occult early-stage disease. Strategies involving multiple markers and modalities may be required. Some markers may emerge through a more fundamental knowledge of the biology of gynecologic neoplasms, including the expression of growth factors and their receptors. Finally, the application of monoclonal antibodies to immunohistochemistry and radionuclide imaging also may provide new areas of diagnostic application for monoclonal antibodies in gynecologic oncology.
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PMID:Gynecologic tumor markers. 226 5

The use of a tumor marker not only depends upon its sensitivity and specificity, but also upon its ability to influence decisions between alternative plans for patient management. Use of beta human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for monitoring gestational trophoblastic neoplasia has set the standard to which other assays must be compared. Beta hCG and alphafetoprotein have provided useful markers for ovarian germ cell tumors. Recently, a monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay for CA 125 antigen has been used to monitor the treatment of epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Persistent elevation of CA 125 in serum has generally reflected persistence of disease at second look surveillance procedures. CA 125 levels can, however, return to within normal limits and residual disease can be found at laparoscopy or laparotomy. CA 125 shows promise for distinguishing benign from malignant pelvic masses. Trials are currently underway to evaluate the potential of CA 125 in combination with other markers to facilitate earlier detection of occult ovarian cancer.
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PMID:Pros and cons of gynecologic tumor markers. 244 35

Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) is common to most epithelial ovarian tumors. Therefore, it is potentially a good marker of this disease. This hypothesis was evaluated by measuring the serum levels of CA 125 in 81 patients with ovarian cancer (25 with nonactive and 56 with active disease), in 105 patients of both sexes with nonovarian tumors, and in 171 healthy controls of both sexes. The serum levels of three other markers, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and human chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit (beta-hCG), were also measured in the same 357 subjects. The results of this study clearly indicate the clinical irrelevance of both CEA and beta-hCG as tumor markers in ovarian carcinomas. Conversely, the clinical usefulness of CA 125 and TPA was confirmed. In particular, CA 125 and TPA showed comparable sensitivity, while CA 125 showed a higher specificity for ovarian cancer than TPA. The association of CA 125 with TPA was very useful in continuous observation of patients with active disease in order to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the therapy. Moreover, for patients in clinical remission, the markers allowed early detection of a recurrence of the disease.
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PMID:Cancer antigen 125, tissue polypeptide antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, and beta-chain human chorionic gonadotropin as serum markers of epithelial ovarian carcinoma. 244 34

The advances of both murine and human monoclonal antibody (MoAb) technology have allowed the development of several antibodies against gynecologic tumors. The goals are to produce effective and specific reagents for both immunodiagnosis and therapy. However, despite an extensive research effort, a clear demonstration of specific cancer-associated antigens in gynecologic malignancies, or of specific immune responses to such antigens has been elusive. Currently, most antibodies found are cross reactive with either oncofetal antigens or some normal adult tissues. Clinical usefulness of these MoAbs as a screening test in radioimaging or in immunotherapy remains to be proven. However, the use of MoAb technology in defined antigens/tumor markers such as beta-human chorionic gonadotropin, and alpha fetal proteins has provided convenient, reproducible and highly specific reagents. More recently, promising antibodies have been shown to detect tumor antigens in serum of patients with ovarian cancer.
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PMID:Clinical applications of monoclonal antibodies in gynecologic oncology. 330 66

Early diagnosis is the most effective means of reducing the currently high mortality rate associated with ovarian cancer. A better informed public and profession is aiding in this campaign. The palpation of what appears to be a normal-sized ovary in a premenopausal woman suggests an ovarian tumor in a postmenopausal woman. It is becoming obvious that ovarian cancer is a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract, and physicians treating ovarian cancer should be prepared to deal with bowel-associated problems. The practice of tapping women with ascites for diagnosis as well as doing an exploration merely to obtain a biopsy should be discouraged. Unless the physician is prepared to carry out the optimal surgical approach for the patient, it is crucial that the patient be referred to either a center or to a physician who is actively engaged in the day-to-day care of cancer patients. Tumor markers such as CA125, alpha-fetoproteins, and human chorionic gonadotropin have been of help in monitoring the management of ovarian cancer. One of the most exciting areas of gynecologic oncology is the effort being made to diagnose ovarian cancer with immunologic techniques as well as treating the patient with immunotherapy. These methods promise a hope for early diagnosis and a method to control the disease without destroying a great deal of normal tissue. With the combined use of all the available treatment methods, patients with ovarian cancer are now living longer and more comfortably.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Ovarian cancer: cause, diagnosis, and treatment. 358 44


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