This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hefler, L. A. Articles by Reinthaller, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hefler, L. A. Articles by Reinthaller, A.

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

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna; ² Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology; ³ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wilhelminenspital, Vienna, Austria; ⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria; ⁵ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charité/Campus Virchow-Klinikum, University Medicine of Berlin, Berlin, Germany; and ⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Landeskrankenhaus Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, Austria

Requests for reprints: Lukas A. Hefler, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Gürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Phone: 43-1-40400-2962; Fax: 43-1-40400-2911; E-mail: lukas.hefler{at}meduniwien.ac.at.

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.