Abstract
Objective. To evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum tetranectin (TN) in Danish ovarian cancer (OvCa) patients. Design. Population-based, multidisciplinary Danish case-control study of OvCa. Participants. A total of 445 primary OvCa patients diagnosed at one of the gynecological departments in 18 regional hospitals around Denmark during the period 1994–1999. Methods. Serum levels of TN were evaluated preoperatively and tested for possible association with prognosis. Main outcome measures. Disease specific survival. Results. During the observation period (median 45.9 months, range 0.2–121) 278 OvCa-related deaths were seen. Univariate analysis of TN and CA125 demonstrated a significant association with survival using the Cox proportional hazards model, when stratified for adjuvant treatment (TN: p < 0.0001, hazard ratio = 0.44; 95% confidence interval 0.33–0.60 and CA125: p < 0.0001, hazard ratio = 1.19; 95% confidence interval 1.11–1.27). Disease specific survival curves for patients with tumors in the early stages showed no significant association with survival, neither for TN (p = 0.68) nor for CA125 (p = 0.07). For the stage III group, a significant association with survival was found for TN (p = 0.027), but not for CA125 (p = 0.37). Multivariate Cox analysis identified TN, age, residual tumor, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and grade but not serum CA125 as independent prognostic variables. Conclusion. Preoperative serum TN is a useful prognostic indicator of advanced stage for patients with OvCa.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Danish Cancer Society, the Mermaid I, M.L. Jørgensen og Gunnar Hansen Fond, Axel Muusfeldts Fond, Minister Erna Hamiltons legat for videnskab og kunst and Aase og Ejnar Danielsen fond for providing grants for this project. The expert technical assistance of Vibeke Reese and Connie Kjelkvist, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Statens Serum Institute, is greatly appreciated. Professor Bent Nørgaard Pedersen, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Statens Serum Institute, is thanked for his support.
Declaration of interest: None of the authors have any financial disclosures.