Blogger's Note/Opinion:
efforts to improve on the existing CA125 biomarkers remain elusive, as we speak; this may be confirmed by the multitude of research studies/meta-analsyes (known issues); we, as patients/survivors, all have examples which are contrary, or exceptions, to what is presently known and therefore the issue of 'personalized medicine'; biomarker banking (tissues from surgery for research) is an important key element for those diagnosed so that we may move forward beyond the standard CA125 (as one example); on the bonus side - research is moving forward at a greatly accelerated pace (molecular/proteomics...) but the research is still in the phase/s of being brought to the 'clinic', meaning what actually works for our ovarian cancer women pre-present-post diagnosis; it is a common philosophy in ovarian cancer research that due to our low numbers (relative to other cancers) that we must have global research (not least of which is to mention global economics); as patients you can make a difference by ensuring that the clinical studies which you enroll will make a difference in these efforts as opposed to small isolated studies - specifically those that continue to regurgitate past studies which do not move forward beyond the existing eg. psychosocial aspects of prophlactic surgery
Proteomic biomarkers in combination with CA 125 for detection of epithelial ovarian cancer using prediagnostic serum samples from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial - Moore - 2011 - Cancer
RESULTS (abstract):
"CA
125 levels were elevated (≥35 U/mL) in 61.5% of 65 patients who had CA
125 data available from samples that were collected <12 months before
cancer diagnosis; however, levels of the additional 7 biomarkers were
not different between cases and the 3 control groups individually or
combined. Two panels that combined CA 125 and the 7 biomarkers failed to
improve the sensitivity of CA 125 alone."
