Skip to Main Content

An official website of the United States government

Ovarian Biomarkers

Purpose

The search for effective biomarkers in identifying early stage ovarian cancer has proved elusive. During the 2005 and 2006 rounds, the Etiologic and Early Marker Studies (EEMS) committee approved five proposals that sought to identify a better algorithm for predicting ovarian cancer. The results from these studies were analyzed separately, and then eventually combined to see if the findings could be improved.

Population

These studies were coordinated to use the same population and the same blood serum. Eligible participants were females in the intervention arm, with a baseline questionnaire, no history of cancer prior to the trial, no reports of a bilateral oophorectomy, with pre-diagnostic serum and corresponding etiologic consent, and no unconfirmed reports of an ovarian cancer or a confirmed tumor of low malignant potential. 119 cases of invasive ovarian, primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer were identified. Controls were matched to cases by age at serum draw in five year groupings and calendar year of serum draw, and controls were required to contribute person time into the calendar year (in two year groupings) of the matched cases’ diagnoses. Controls were frequency matched to the cases at a 4:1 ratio (476 controls), and supplemented with additional controls who had ever had an elevated CA-125 during PLCO screening at 2:1 (238 controls), and with those who had a family history of breast or ovarian cancer also at a 2:1 ratio (238 controls). More information on the methodology of the study can be found in the Main Findings referenced below.

Data Collected

Ovarian Biomarkers data can be obtained in the Ovarian Biomarkers dataset

Below is a table of the analytes measured in each panel.

  Panel A
Yale University		 Panel B
Partners		 Panel C
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center		 Panel D
MD Anderson Cancer Center/ NCI DCEG		 Panel E
University of Pittsburgh
Apolipoprotein A-I (APOA1) X
Beta-2-microglobulin (B2M) X
B7-H4 (VTCN1) X
CA125 (MUC16) X X X X X
CA15-3 (MUC1) X
CA19-9 X
CA72-4 X X
CTAPIII (PPBP) X
EGFR (EGFR) X
Eotaxin (CCL11) X
HE4 (WFDC2) X X X
Hepcidin-25 (HAMP) X
IGFBPII (IGFBP2) X
IGF-II (IGF2) X
ITIH4 (ITIH4) X
Kallikrein-6 (KLK6) X
Leptin (LEP) X
Mesothelin (MSLN) X
MIF (MIF) X
MMP-3 (MMP3) X
MMP-7 (MMP7) X
OPN (SPP1) X
Prolactin (PRL) X X
Secretory Leukocyte Protease Inhibitor (SLPI) X
Spondin 2 (SPON2) X
sVCAM-1 (VCAM1) X
Transferrin (TF) X
Transthyretin (TTR) X

Main Findings