| Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the expression of CA-125 (cancer antigen-125) and RDW (red cell distribution width) levels in patients with endometriosis and to compare these biomarkers in stage III and IV of the disease in order to arrange operative planning. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on a sample of women with surgical diagnosis of endometriosis. Surgical reports and laboratory tests were recorded from medical files. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, patients were divided into two groups, stage III and stage IV. Preoperative serum level of CA-125 and RDW were recorded. Then, we analyzed the data using logistic regression analysis to assess the association between the disease stage and these biomarkers. Results: In all the data, 183 patients were available for analysis (96 patients with stage III and 87 patients with stage IV). The comparison between patients with stage III and IV showed that the mean levels of CA-125 and RDW were significantly lower in stages III patients, respectively (58.16 vs. 95.86, P < 0.0001; and 13.11 vs. 13.78, P = 0.007). The association between stage and these biomarkers as assessed by performing logistic regression analysis indicated that patients with stage IV were more likely to present with elevated levels of CA-125 (OR=1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02) and RDW (OR=1.37, 95% CI: 1.09-1.74). Conclusion: The findings suggest that CA-125 and RDW can predict the severity of endometriosis and clinicians can use these biomarkers in addition to physical examination and ultrasound for operative planning. |