Serum C-Reactive Protein as Independent Prognostic Variable in Patients with Ovarian Cancer

• Published in: Clinical cancer research Vol. 14; no. 3; pp. 710 - 714
• Main Authors: HEFLER, Lukas A, CONCIN, Nicole, TEMPFER, Clemens B, REINTHALLER, Alexander, HOFSTETTER, Gerda, MARTH, Christian, MUSTEA, Alexander, SEHOULI, Jalid, ZEILLINGER, Robert, LEIPOLD, Heinz, LASS, Harald, GRIMM, Christoph
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA American Association for Cancer Research 01.02.2008
• Subjects: Aged; Antineoplastic agents; Biological and medical sciences; Biomarkers, Tumor - blood; C-reactive protein (CRP); C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Female; Female genital diseases; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - blood; Ovarian Neoplasms - mortality; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Ovarian Neoplasms - surgery; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; serum; Survival Analysis; Tumors; Human; Ovarian diseases; Acute phase protein; Prognosis; Ovary cancer; Malignant tumor; C reactive protein; Serum protein; Cancer; Female genital diseases
• ISSN: 1078-0432; 1557-3265
• DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-07-1044

Purpose: To evaluate serum C-reactive protein (CRP) as prognostic variable in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Experimental Design: In a multicenter study, preoperative serum CRP was evaluated in 623 patients with EOC. Results were correlated with clinical data. Results: Mean (SD) preoperative serum CRP was 3.6 (4.8) mg/dL. Serum CRP was significantly associated with International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage ( P < 0.001) and postoperative residual tumor mass ( P < 0.001) but not with histologic grade ( P = 0.1) and type ( P = 0.7), patients' age (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.05; P = 0.2), and serum CA 125 (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.02; P = 0.6). Patients with platinum-resistant EOC had significantly higher CRP serum levels compared with patients with platinum-sensitive EOC [6.0 (6.6) mg/dL versus 2.8 (3.8) mg/dL; P < 0.001]. Higher International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians stage ( P < 0.001), presence of postoperative residual tumor mass ( P < 0.001), tumor grade ( P = 0.001), serum CA 125 ( P = 0.03), and serum CRP ( P = 0.001) were independently associated with overall survival. Patients with serum CRP ≤1 mg/dL versus >1 mg/dL had an overall 5-year survival of 82% versus 58.5% ( P < 0.001). Conclusion: Serum CRP can be seen as a novel, widely available independent prognostic variable of ovarian cancer.