Higher serum calcium may be a biomarker of ovarian cancer, according to a study published Jan. 9 in Gynecologic Oncology. With further validation, serum calcium may aid in filling the present gap in biomarkers capable of detecting ovarian cancers earlier, at a more curable stage. While acknowledging that only a small minority of ovarian cancers are actually characterized by hypercalcemia, the researchers theorized that since many ovarian cancers express parathyroid hormone-related protein, which acts to raise calcium levels in serum, higher serum calcium levels might predict ovarian cancer. The Wake Forest University researchers used data from two independent, nationally representative population-based cohorts. In the primary analysis, using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III; 1988 to 1994), the researchers found that both higher ionized and total serum calcium were associated with ovarian cancer mortality. The risk for fatal ovarian cancer was 52 percent higher for each 0.1 mmol/L increase in total serum calcium and 144 percent higher for each 0.1 mmol/L increase in ionized serum calcium, the biologically active fraction of total serum calcium. These associations persisted after adjusting for nulliparity and the use of oral contraceptives. In a second confirmatory analysis using data from the […]
Higher serum calcium may be a biomarker of ovarian cancer, according to a study published Jan. 9 in Gynecologic Oncology. With further validation, serum calcium may aid in filling the present gap in biomarkers capable of detecting ovarian cancers earlier, at a more curable stage.
While acknowledging that only a small minority of ovarian cancers are actually characterized by hypercalcemia, the researchers theorized that since many ovarian cancers express parathyroid hormone-related protein, which acts to raise calcium levels in serum, higher serum calcium levels might predict ovarian cancer.
The Wake Forest University researchers used data from two independent, nationally representative population-based cohorts. In the primary analysis, using data from the third National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES III; 1988 to 1994), the researchers found that both higher ionized and total serum calcium were associated with ovarian cancer mortality. The risk for fatal ovarian cancer was 52 percent higher for each 0.1 mmol/L increase in total serum calcium and 144 percent higher for each 0.1 mmol/L increase in ionized serum calcium, the biologically active fraction of total serum calcium. These associations persisted after adjusting for nulliparity and the use of oral contraceptives.
In a second confirmatory analysis using data from the NHANES Epidemiological Follow-up Study, there was an association between serum calcium and incident ovarian cancer. There was a 63 percent higher risk for ovarian cancer with each 0.1 mmol/L increase in total serum calcium (95 percent CI 1.14–2.34) after adjusting for other covariables. The association was strengthened to a 75 percent increased risk after adjusting for nulliparity and use of oral contraceptives.
