Significance of urinary neopterine in gynecological oncology: follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer

Abstract

In patients with genital cancer (N = 108) significantly higher mean neopterine levels were found than in a healthy control group. Prior to therapy elevated neopterine levels were seen in 60% of the patients with cancer of the genitals varying between 90% (ovarian cancer) and 54% (cervical cancer). Nine patients with ovarian cancer (stages IIb-IV) were followed for a period of 16 months to date. All patients had elevated neopterine values prior to therapy. When the urinary neopterine excretion remained increased over the period of observation, progression of the tumor occurred within a few months. In patients with complete or partial remission of the tumor, the neopterine excretion dropped to normal values. Thus, we feel that neopterine sampling may be helpful in the follow-up of patients with ovarian cancer, as tumor progression is indicated very early, before clinicoroentgenological findings are present.