[Role of total inhibin in diagnosis and monitoring of ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women].

Abstract

Ovarian cancer is the second and the most frequent fatal gynecological malignancy worldwide and the fourth reason for mortality of neoplasmas in Europe. The lifetime risk for ovarian cancer in Europe is approximately 1 in 80. One of the reasons for the high mortality rate is that in more than 70% of women with such cancer are diagnosed in advanced stage. After physiological menopause or after surgery, with the depletion of ovarian follicules (the granulose cells produce inhibins), the circulating serum inhibin A and B and the free alpha-subunit decrease low or non detectable levels. We present the significance of measuring total inhibin with new double ELISA method, as a diagnostic and prognostic factor in the sera of postmenopausal women with mucinous and granulose cells tumors. The serum total inhibin is a sensitive marker for diagnosis and monitoring of mucinous and granulose cells tumors as its levels decrease significantly after surgery and increase in case of recurrence. Total inhibin is useful marker with high specificity and sensitivity for these tumors; CA 125 for other varian cancer; the combination of both resulted in 95% detection of all ovarian cancers.

• Authors: D Markova, N Milchev, I Batashki, A Uchikov
• Journal: Akusherstvo i ginekologiia (Akush Ginekol (Sofiia)) Vol. 47 Issue 1 Pg. 16-9 ( 2008) ISSN: 0324-0959 [Print] Bulgaria
• PMID: 18642569 (Publication Type: English Abstract, Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers, Tumor
• Inhibins

Topics

• Biomarkers, Tumor (blood)
• Female
• Humans
• Inhibins (blood)
• Ovarian Neoplasms (blood, diagnosis)
• Postmenopause (blood)