Algorithm relies on dual markers; has higher sensitivity than Risk of Malignancy Index
THURSDAY, Sept. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A novel assay that uses serum HE4 and CA125 to predict epithelial ovarian cancer in women with pelvic masses appears to have a significantly higher sensitivity than the Risk of Malignancy Index (RMI), according to research published in the September issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Using RMI and the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA), Richard G. Moore, M.D., of Brown University in Providence, R.I., and colleagues evaluated 457 women with an identified pelvic mass or ovarian cyst and planned surgical intervention. The two methods were compared for their ability to predict epithelial ovarian cancer.
The researchers found the sensitivity for distinguishing benign masses from cancerous lesions to be 94.3 percent for ROMA and 84.6 percent for RMI, at a set specificity of 75 percent. For patients with stage I or II disease, the former had a sensitivity of 85.3 percent, compared to 64.7 percent for the latter.
"ROMA, utilizing the dual marker combination of HE4 and CA125, can be used to classify both postmenopausal and premenopausal women into high- and low-risk groups, allowing for the effective triage of women to appropriate centers for their care," the authors conclude.
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