['To evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative serum tetranectin (TN) in Danish ovarian cancer (OvCa) patients. Design. Population-based, multidisciplinary Danish case-control study of OvCa.', 'A total of 445 primary OvCa patients diagnosed at one of the gynecological departments in 18 regional hospitals around Denmark during the period 1994-1999.', 'Serum levels of TN were evaluated preoperatively and tested for possible association with prognosis.', 'Disease specific survival.', 'During the observation period (median 45.9 months, range 0.2-121) 278 OvCa-related deaths were seen. Univariate analysis of TN and CA125 demonstrated a significant association with survival using the Cox proportional hazards model, when stratified for adjuvant treatment (TN: p < 0.0001, hazard ratio = 0.44; 95% confidence interval 0.33-0.60 and CA125: p < 0.0001, hazard ratio = 1.19; 95% confidence interval 1.11-1.27). Disease specific survival curves for patients with tumors in the early stages showed no significant association with survival, neither for TN (p = 0.68) nor for CA125 (p = 0.07). For the stage III group, a significant association with survival was found for TN (p = 0.027), but not for CA125 (p = 0.37). Multivariate Cox analysis identified TN, age, residual tumor, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and grade but not serum CA125 as independent prognostic variables.'] Is serum tetranectin a significant prognostic marker in ovarian cancer patients?