Differences in regional diagnostic strategies and in intended versus actual first-line treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer in Denmark.

Background: Triage of patients with ovarian cancer to primary debulking surgery (PDS) or neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is challenging. In Denmark, the use of NACT has increased, but substantial differences in the use of NACT or PDS exist among centers. We aimed to characterize the differences between intended and actual first-line treatments in addition to the differences in the triage process among the centers and to evaluate the different diagnostic modalities and the clinical aspects' influence in the triage process.

Serum platelet-derived growth factor and fibroblast growth factor in patients with benign and malignant ovarian tumors.

Background: New biological markers with predictive or prognostic value are highly warranted in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) system and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) system are important components in tumor growth and angiogenesis.

Materials And Methods: Pre-surgery peripheral blood samples were collected consecutively from 213 patients (42 with normal ovaries, 54 with benign, 21 with borderline, and 96 with malignant ovarian tumors) undergoing surgery for an untreated pelvic mass.

Chemotherapy-induced changes of CA 125 in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objectives: CA 125 is a tumor marker widely used to diagnose, monitor, and follow-up women with epithelial ovarian cancer, as the marker is well related to the amount of vital tumor cells. However, CA 125 before the operation or during the first 2 courses of chemotherapy does not provide enough information concerning survival to serve as a prognostic marker. The present investigation was inspired by studies describing a paradoxical increase of tumor markers (CEA, CA 125, and CA 15-3) in the days after chemotherapy of women with breast cancer.