HE4 (ovaries)

The HE4 (ovaries) analysis represents an extremely important diagnostic tool in the detection and monitoring of epithelial ovarian cancer, the most common type of ovarian cancer. This analysis is conducted at the renowned IntroLab laboratory in Belgrade.

What is HE4 (ovaries)?

Human Epididymis Protein 4, abbreviated as HE4, is a protein that most epithelial ovarian cancer cells produce. HE4 can be found in significantly elevated concentrations in the blood of women suffering from epithelial ovarian cancer. Specifically, more than 90% of serous and endometrioid epithelial ovarian carcinomas and about 50% of clear cell tumors show elevated levels of this protein.

Why is measuring this parameter important?

Determining the level of HE4 in a patient’s blood can be very helpful in monitoring the effectiveness of ovarian cancer therapy, detecting recurrences, or monitoring the progression of the disease. This analysis, when combined with the CA-125 test and information about a woman’s menopausal status, is part of the so-called ROMA score, which allows doctors to predict with a certain probability whether a tumor is malignant or not.

When is it necessary to do the HE4 (ovaries) test?

The HE4 (ovaries) analysis is usually recommended when a woman has been diagnosed with epithelial ovarian cancer, as well as during and after treatment, to monitor changes in the protein level in the blood and predict the possibility of the disease recurring.

How are the results interpreted?

Although a low concentration of HE4 in the blood (≤ 140 pmol/L) is not unusual for healthy women and generally has no diagnostic significance, elevated levels of this protein can indicate the presence of epithelial ovarian cancer. Monitoring the levels of HE4 and CA-125 during treatment can be a useful indicator of therapy effectiveness – a reduction in these markers may signal a positive response to treatment, while constant or rising levels may imply that the therapy is not achieving the desired results.

The algorithm for assessing the risk of ovarian malignancy, known as the ROMA score, is used to assess the likelihood of malignancy of an ovarian tumor. An increase in the ROMA score indicates a higher risk of malignancy, while a lower ROMA score indicates a lower probability of malignancy.