EFFICIENCY OF TUMOR MARKERS IN THE EARLY DETECTION OF OVARIAN CANCER

Abstract

Early detection of ovarian cancer is crucial to improve patient prognosis and survival, but it remains a significant challenge in clinical practice. This study performs an integrative review to evaluate the efficiency of tumor markers CA-125 and HE4 in the early detection of ovarian cancer. The analysis includes a systematic review of the existing literature, covering studies on the sensitivity, specificity and efficacy of these markers. The results demonstrate that CA-125, although widely used, has limitations in terms of specificity, often resulting in false-positive diagnoses. In contrast, HE4 showed greater accuracy, with better sensitivity and specificity. The combination of CA-125 and HE4 showed superior performance in early detection, with a combined sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 85%. Furthermore, the integration of new diagnostic technologies, such as mass spectrometry and proteomic analysis, revealed significant improvements in the accuracy of tumor markers. This study highlights the importance of a multimodal approach in early screening of ovarian cancer and suggests that the combination of tumor markers and novel techniques may optimize diagnostic accuracy and reduce false-positive diagnosis rates.