Clinical Research Directory

Diagnostic Utility of Culdocentesis in Patients With a Suspicious Adnexal Mass

Sponsor: Southern Illinois University

Summary

This study involves women who are scheduled to have surgery for a pelvic or ovarian mass that is suspicious for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The physician will perform an additional procedure on all consented subjects known as 'culdocentesis'. This will be done just prior to their scheduled surgery while the patient is under general anesthesia. Culdocentesis is a procedure typically used to check for abnormal fluid in the space just behind the vagina. This pocket of space is called the cul-de-sac. The purpose of this study is to determine if levels of tumor markers, CA-125 and HE4, are measurable from the cul-de-sac fluid. If these tumor markers are measurable from the cul-de-sac fluid and correlate with the patient's diagnosis, this procedure may be used in the future as an additional diagnostic tool for EOC. In addition, a single urine sample will be collected from each patient to measure the ratio of "good" to "bad" estrogen. Investigators hypothesize this ratio will also correlate with EOC diagnosis. Study results could lead to development of an alternative, minimally invasive and low risk diagnostic tool in patients with an ovarian mass suspicious for malignancy.

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