Abstract: Background: Most benign female genital tract tumors are uterine leiomyomas, which arise during reproduction. Monoclonal tumors vary in size, frequency, and location. Leiomyomas can cause irregular uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhea, pelvic discomfort, abdominal distention, reproductive issues, and malignancy, however most are asymptomatic. Patient age, tumor size and location, symptom intensity, and uterine preservation need to be considered. Biological molecules called biomarkers indicate normal or abnormal processes. CA 19-9, first utilized in pancreatic cancer, and CA 125, a membrane-bound glycoprotein used in gynecology, are raised in benign and malignant disorders. Uterine leiomyomas have few reliable blood indicators for diagnosis or surveillance.
Aim: To evaluate serum levels of CA 19-9 and CA 125 in women with uterine leiomyomas and assess their association with lesion characteristics.
Study Design and Methods: This case-control study was conducted at Babil Teaching Hospital for Maternity and Children between December 2023 and August 2024. One hundred women aged 19-49 years were enrolled, including 50 patients with ultrasonographically confirmed symptomatic uterine leiomyomas and 50 apparently healthy controls with normal menstrual cycles and no fibroids on ultrasound. Venous blood samples were collected from all participants, and serum CA 19-9 and CA 125 levels were measured and compared.
Results: Serum CA 19-9 levels were significantly higher in the leiomyoma group compared with controls (33 ± 21.4; p< 0.0001), with significantly higher levels in intramural fibroids. Serum CA 125 levels were also significantly elevated in patients (29.21 ± 18.87; p< 0.0001) and showed a strong association with fibroid size, particularly lesions ?5 cm.
Conclusion: Serum CA 19-9 and CA 125 may serve as useful prognostic biomarkers in uterine leiomyoma. CA 19-9 is associated with fibroid location, while CA 125 correlates with tumor size.
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