Elevated Serum Level of CA125 Is a Biomarker That Can Be Used to Alter Prognosis Determined by BRCA Mutation and Family History in Ovarian Cancer.

AIMS: In this study, we determined whether serum tumor markers (STMs), including CA125, are associated with BRCA mutation status and if they can be used prognostically in sporadic ovarian cancer (SOC) and familial ovarian cancer (FOC).

METHODS: BRCA gene mutations were screened using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in 31 FOC and 66 SOC patients enrolled between 2013 and 2014. The serum levels of STM CEA, CA125, CA199, and HE4 were also measured in these patients to determine the prognostic potential of these markers and their association with BRCA mutations.

RESULTS: Elevated levels of CA125, but not the other three STMs, were associated with FOC and BRCA mutations. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in patients with FOC, higher CA125 expression (>2000 U/mL), and BRCA mutation. Strikingly, the median PFS was not reached in either BRCA+/higher CA125 or FOC/higher CA125 patient groups and these patients had significantly longer PFS than those in other groups. As reported previously, we also detected more BRCA mutations in FOC than in SOC. No significant differences were observed in onset age, menopausal status, tumor stage, and distant metastasis between FOC and SOC patients or between BRCA+ and BRCA- patients.

CONCLUSIONS: Elevated levels of serum CA125 are associated with FOC and BRCA mutations, which can be further exploited as a prognostic marker in OC.