[Diagnosis of the recurrence of epithelial ovarian cancer with the tumor marker CA 125].

Aim of this study was to evaluate the significance of serum CA 125 levels in our ovarian cancer follow-up programme for earlier detection of recurrent or progressive disease. 43 out of 133 patients developed tumour progression, whereby 42 (97.7%) showed positive serum CA 125 levels and in 25 patients (58.2%) the increase in tumour marker preceded the first clinical signs by 4 to 36 weeks. The mean lead time was 14.2 weeks. Hence, determination of serum CA 125 should be mandatory in the follow-up investigation of women with epithelial ovarian carcinomas.