The epidemiology of CA-125 in women without evidence of ovarian cancer in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer (PLCO) Screening Trial.

Authors

Johnson CC, Kessel B, Riley TL, Ragard LR, Williams CR, Xu JL, Buys SS, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Project Team

Affiliations

• Josephine Ford Cancer Center, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, USA. cjohnso1@hfhs.org

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiology of CA-125 in women without ovarian cancer.

METHODS: We analyzed demographic, medical and lifestyle characteristics related to CA-125, measured using the Centocor CA-125II RIA assay, among 25,608 multi-ethnic U.S. women aged 55-74 years enrolled in a cancer screening trial and found to have no evidence of ovarian cancer.

RESULTS: Mean CA-125 level was 11.9 U/ml (SD 8.3); median 10.0 U/ml, interquartile range 8.0-14.0. High levels, using the clinical cut point of >or=35 U/ml, were associated with increased age (p<0.001) and former smoking (p<0.021), while hysterectomy and obesity were protective (p<0.001). Mean levels were higher with increasing age (p<0.001), ever use of hormone therapy (p<0.001), former smoking (p<0.017) and history of breast cancer (p<0.002), but lower (p<0.001) with non-White status, previous hysterectomy, current smoking, and obesity. Current hormone therapy use was not associated with CA-125 in women without a uterus.

CONCLUSION: In post-menopausal women without ovarian cancer, CA-125 level is influenced by a number of factors, including race/ethnicity, age, hysterectomy, smoking history and obesity.