title: Clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary: a clinical analysis and comparison with serous carcinoma.
abstract: Forty-four patients with clear cell adenocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed between 1944 and 1981 were compared with a matched cohort of 55 patients with the most common epithelial malignant lesion, serous adenocarcinoma, in terms of their presentation and clinical course. None were lost to follow-up. Median follow-up was 9 years. Fifty percent of clear cell patients presented in Stage I versus 31% of serous patients. Patients with clear cell carcinoma presented more often with pelvic masses (84% vs 65%) and had larger (diameter greater than 10 cm) primary tumors (73% vs 29%). Forty-nine percent of clear cell patients were nulligravid compared with 24% of serous patients and endometriosis was strikingly more common in clear cell patients (58% vs 12%). When compared stage for stage, clear cell tumors were uniformly associated with poorer 5-year survival rates with an overall rate of 34%. In patients with recurrent disease, lymph node involvement was much more common in patients with clear cell carcinoma (40% vs 7%). Parenchymal organ involvement was also more common in the clear cell group (40% vs 13%). Ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma has distinctly different clinical behavior compared to serous carcinoma and should be regarded as an aggressive epithelial histologic type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Jenison
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Montag
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Welch
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Lavin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knapp
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D004715:Endometriosis / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies