A risk of malignancy index incorporating CA 125, ultrasound and menopausal status for the accurate preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer

Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1990 Oct;97(10):922-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1990.tb02448.x.

Abstract

Age, ultrasound score, menopausal status, a clinical impression score and serum CA 125 level were assessed to see how they could best distinguish between patients with benign (n = 101) and malignant (n = 42) pelvic masses. Each criteria used alone provided statistically significant discrimination. The most useful individual criteria were a serum CA 125 level of 30 U/ml (sensitivity 81%, specificity 75%) and an ultrasound score of 2 (sensitivity 71%, specificity 83%). Three criteria could be combined in a risk of malignancy index (RMI) which is simply calculated using the product of the serum CA 125 level (U/ml), the ultrasound scan result (expressed as a score of 0, 1 or 3) and the menopausal status (1 if premenopausal and 3 if postmenopausal). This index was statistically virtually as effective a discriminant between cancer and benign lesions as more formal methods. Using an RMI cut-off level of 200, the sensitivity was 85% and the specificity was 97%. Patients with an RMI score of greater than 200 had, on average, 42 times the background risk of cancer and those with a lower value 0.15 times the background risk.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / analysis*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Menopause / blood*
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Diseases / diagnosis
  • Ovarian Diseases / pathology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Radioimmunoassay
  • Regression Analysis
  • Risk Factors
  • Ultrasonography
  • Uterus / pathology*

Substances

  • Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate