RESEARCHERS have proposed two new diagnostic indices to improve ovarian cancer (OC) detection, which is often delayed due to nonspecific symptoms. In a recent study, a team of scientists introduced the “Vienna Index” and “Top Vienna Index” as advanced diagnostic tools for OC, by adding age to existing biomarker combinations. The research was presented at the 2025 European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (ESGO) Annual Meeting and was among the most viewed abstract presentations of the event.
The study, led by Rafal Watrowski and colleagues, analysed data from 398 women, including 268 OC patients and 131 controls, across five European centers. The team assessed six circulating protein biomarkers (PBMs), including CA125, HE4, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), prolactin, osteopontin and leptin, and incorporated age into their analysis.
Results showed that age significantly enhanced the diagnostic performance of PBM combinations. The “Vienna Index,” which combines CA125, MIF, and age, demonstrated the highest accuracy at an AUC of 0.967. Notably, this outperformed the well-known “Copenhagen Index” (AUC 0.953; p=0.002) and other standard biomarker combinations. Furthermore, the “Top Vienna Index,” a combination of MIF, CA125, HE4, and age, achieved an AUC of 0.975, closely matching the reference model’s performance (AUC of 0.976).
The study’s findings highlight the potential of age as a universally accessible variable in improving OC diagnostics. The authors recommend further validation of these new indices in larger cohorts to confirm their clinical applicability.
Helena Bradbury, EMJ
Reference
Watrowski R et al. PSA-061: Improving diagnostic differentiation of adnexal mass by adding age to biomarker combinations: Proposing the “Vienna Index” and the “Top Vienna Index”. Presented at ESGO 2025 Annual Meeting; Feb 20-23; Milan, Italy.
