Borderline ovarian tumours: retrospective analysis of twenty-one cases
Saygili, U.; Uslu, T.; Erten, O.; Doğan, E.
European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology 19(2): 182-185
1998
ISSN/ISBN: 0392-2936 PMID: 9611063 Document Number: 494567
Tumors of low malignant potential represent approximately 15% of epithelial ovarian tumors and tend to occur at a younger age than malignant neoplasia. This paper presents a retrospective analysis of the 21 borderline ovarian tumors diagnosed and treated at Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir, Turkey, in 1986-96. The average age at presentation was 45.4 +or- 18.6 years. The diagnosis was made by exploratory laparotomy and frozen section. 7 tumors (33.3%) were serous and 14 (66.6%) were mucinous. 8 borderline mucinous tumors (57.1%) were intestinal type and 6 (42.9%) were endocervical. The average preoperative cancer marker level was 55.1 +or- 51.9 U/ml for CA125 and 48.2 +or- 47.8 U/ml for CA19.9. CA125 levels were significantly higher in serous tumors (p = 0.04) while CA19.9 measurements were significantly higher in mucinous tumors (p = 0.02). 18 tumors (85.7%) were stage I and 3 (14.3%) were stage III. There were no significant differences in tumor volume between serous, intestinal-type mucinous, and endometroid-type mucinous tumors. Women with stage I tumors who wanted to preserve their fertility underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy; total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed in the remaining cases. Women with stage III tumors received 6 rounds of first-line adjuvant chemotherapy followed by second-look laparotomy. 1 patient died in the third year of treatment as a result of chronic renal failure unrelated to the ovarian pathology; the remaining women, who have been followed an average of 5.5 +or- 2.6 years, are in remission.