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‹ Sat · 12 Sep 2026
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Serum human epididymis protein 4 and long-term mortality in U.S. women: a nationally representative cohort study.

A blood protein linked to ovarian cancer also predicts long-term mortality in general women, broadening its potential use in cancer screening programs.

Using nationally representative NHANES data, this study demonstrates that serum HE4 is a prognostic biomarker for long-term mortality in the general female population, independent of cancer status. The finding broadens HE4's clinical relevance from gynecologic oncology to population-level risk stratification and potentially ovarian cancer screening contexts.

What the study was

Study design
Nationally representative cross-sectional study (NHANES)
Population
Adult US women (nationally representative, NHANES)
Category
Diagnostics
Maturity
Validated
Journal
Clinics (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Why it surfaced

Nationally representative data repositioning HE4 as a population mortality biomarker beyond gynecologic oncology; strong study design with direct public health implications.

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