The Myth of Measurable Disease in Ovarian Cancer: Revisited

Abstract

There are well-documented and serious limitations associated with analyzing measurable disease in ovarian cancer as a sole primary endpoint in clinical trials, as this focus requires the presence of individual tumor masses of sufficient size and distinctive shape to image. An alternative highly rational strategy adds the routine monitoring of validated serum tumor markers (e.g., CA-125), which can more adequately define changes in “tumor volume” associated with small nonvisualized macroscopic and diffuse microscopic cancer.

Keywords:

• Ovarian cancer
• Clinical trial
• CA-125
• Radiographic imaging