Serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, and leptin in 95 control subjects and 91 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer according to stage. Patients with ovarian cancer showed significantly higher (P < .001) serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα and lower leptin in comparison with control subjects. Moreover, patients with stages III to IV cancer showed higher levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα and lower levels of leptin in comparison to patients with stages I to II. Significance was calculated by 2-sided Student t test, while for leptin the significance was calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test. The box plots in the figure represent columns of data as boxes whose extents indicate the 25th and 75th percentiles of the column. The line inside the box represents the median. + marks the value of the mean. Capped bars indicate the minimum and maximum value observed.