Serum HE4 Level as a Biomarker to Predict the Recurrence of Gynecologic Cancers.

BACKGROUND: HE4 may be a valuable early indicator of the recurrence of gynecologic cancers. Numerous studies have shown that high expression levels of serum HE4 correlate with ovarian and endometrial cancer recurrence. High HE4 levels may be an independent factor to predict these cancers' poor prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: This literature review investigates the relationship between serum HE4 levels and the recurrence of ovarian and endometrial cancer.

CONCLUSION: HE4 displays malignant behavior by promoting cancer cells to skip from G1 phase to S phase, maintaining cell viability, encouraging cell proliferation, inhibiting cell apoptosis, and increasing resistance to drug treatments. Further studies are required to verify that elevated serum HE4 levels correlate with the recurrence of ovarian and endometrial cancer.