Relation of fibrin and tumour-associated antigens to the spread of ovarian cancer

Tumour-associated antigens in blood, ascitic fluid and tissue from patients with ovarian cancer were compared with fibrin formation and the occurrence of the fibrinolysis product D-dimer and set into relation to the clinical tumour situation. In 68 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer D-Dimer, CA 125, TPA, CA 19-9 and CEA were investigated as tumour markers. Specificity and sensitivity were compared in sensitivity-specificity diagrams for different clinical tumour situations. Antigen concentrations and incidence of pathological values were related to the extent of the tumour disease. In manifest tumour situations the sensitivity of CA 125 was slightly superior to that of D-dimer at a corresponding specificity level, whereas the sensitivity of the latter was superior in subclinical tumour situations. Immunohistochemical investigations and plasma-ascites diffusion ratios of antigens indicate that enrichment may occur in ascites. The histochemical pattern reflects fibrin as a tumour-surrounding and surface related antigen. Fibrin formation and dissolution seem to be related to the intraabdominal spread of ovarian cancer