KELIM score predicts outcome in patients with platinum-resistant/refractory recurrent ovarian cancer

Aim: To assess the prognostic role of the CA-125 elimination rate constant K (KELIM) score in platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer patients receiving second-line treatment. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out including 117 patients with advanced-stage platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer treated with liposomal doxorubicin ± bevacizumab. The KELIM score, calculated using CA-125 measurements within the first 100 days of chemotherapy, was used. Survival analyses were performed for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: Higher KELIM scores were associated with a superior PFS and OS. Multivariate analysis confirmed the independent prognostic value of the KELIM score for OS. Validation cohorts showed consistent results. Conclusion: KELIM score may serve as a valuable prognostic marker for predicting OS and PFS in platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer patients receiving second-line treatment. Prospective studies are needed for validation.This study aimed to investigate the usefulness of a scoring system called CA-125 elimination rate constant K (KELIM) in predicting the outcomes of ovarian cancer patients who are resistant to or have not responded to platinum-based treatments and are receiving a second-line treatment. The researchers conducted a retrospective (backwards looking) study involving 117 patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer. They analyzed the patients' CA-125 levels within the first 100 days of chemotherapy to calculate the KELIM score. The results showed that higher KELIM scores were associated with better progression-free survival (the length of time during and after the treatment of a disease, that a patient lives with the disease but it does not get worse) and overall survival (the length of time from either the date of diagnosis or the start of treatment for a disease that patients diagnosed with the disease are still alive). Further analysis confirmed that the KELIM score was an independent predictor of overall survival. The findings were consistent when validated with additional patient groups. In conclusion, the KELIM score has the potential to be a useful tool for predicting the outcomes of ovarian cancer patients undergoing second-line treatment. However, further prospective studies are necessary to validate these findings.