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Can HE4 predict platinum response during first-line chemotherapy in ovarian cancer?

Tumor Biology volume 35, pages 7009–7015 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Actually, in literature there are not valid tools able to predict the chemotherapy response during first-line ovarian cancer treatment. CA125 and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) levels of consecutive single-institution patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) were measured during first-line chemotherapy and until 6 months follow-up. First, patients were divided into two groups according to a temporal criterion: patients treated during 2009 (group A: training group) and patients treated during 2010 (group B: verification group). At sixth months follow-up, patients were sub-classified, within both groups, as platinum resistant or platinum sensitive/intermediate, according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria, and the serum marker courses were further analyzed in each subgroup. Moreover, we performed a logistic regression analysis to choose CA125 and HE4 levels that are best fitted to predict chemoresponse. A total of 76 patients were divided into two groups: group A (n = 42) and group B (n = 34). After 6 months of follow-up, 40 patients were classified as platinum sensitive/intermediate and 36 as platinum resistant. At third chemotherapy cycle, in platinum-resistant patients, HE4 levels were >70 pmol/L in 36 of 36 cases, although in platinum-sensitive/intermediate patients, HE4 levels were >70 pmol/L only in six of 40 cases (sensitivity 100 %, specificity 85 %). Moreover, HE4 reduction of almost 47 % at third chemotherapy cycle reached the sensitivity of 83 % with a specificity of 87 % (positive predictive value = 0.86, negative predictive value = 0.85) in predicting chemoresponse. On the contrary, CA125 values during chemotherapy did not result statistically significant in predicting platinum response. Our findings suggest that HE4 values during first-line chemotherapy could predict chemotherapy response in EOC patients.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Rome “Campus Bio-Medico”, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Angioli, Stella Capriglione, Alessia Aloisi, Federica Guzzo, Daniela Luvero, Andrea Miranda, Patrizio Damiani, Roberto Montera, Corrado Terranova & Francesco Plotti

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  1. Roberto Angioli
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  2. Stella Capriglione
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  3. Alessia Aloisi
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  8. Roberto Montera
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  9. Corrado Terranova
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  10. Francesco Plotti
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Correspondence to Roberto Angioli.

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Angioli, R., Capriglione, S., Aloisi, A. et al. Can HE4 predict platinum response during first-line chemotherapy in ovarian cancer?. Tumor Biol. 35, 7009–7015 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-014-1836-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13277-014-1836-x

Keywords

  • Ovarian cancer
  • HE4
  • CA125
  • Chemoresponse
  • Platinum sensitive
  • Platinum resistant