title: The current status of surgical staging of ovarian serous borderline tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the current practice of surgical staging of ovarian serous borderline tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women with a diagnosis of ovarian serous borderline tumors whose pathology slides were sent to the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center for second-opinion diagnostic consultation between 1990-1996 were identified. The original pathology reports and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center consultation reports of 255 cases were reviewed for the frequencies of frozen-section analyses and staging biopsies, biopsy results, the specialty of the surgeon, and hospital type.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority (78%) of ovarian borderline tumors primarily were encountered and staged by general obstetrician-gynecologists. Overall, 66% of patients had at least 1 staging biopsy performed. Approximately 12% of subjects underwent complete surgical staging, defined as having biopsy samples taken from pelvic and abdominal peritoneum, omentum, and retroperitoneal lymph nodes. Gynecologic oncologists performed complete staging in 50% of cases, obstetrician-gynecologists performed complete staging in 9% of cases, and general surgeons performed complete staging in 0% cases. The overall frequency of a positive staging biopsy was 37%. Approximately 47% (80 of 169) of patients who underwent biopsies were upstaged as a result of positive biopsies, - with 41% (70 of 169) having extrapelvic spread.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Currently, surgical staging for women with ovarian serous borderline tumors remains inadequate, although a significant proportion of patients who undergo staging are noted to have extrapelvic spread.
authors: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
authors: P S
authors: PS
authors: Lin
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Gershenson
authors: M W
authors: MW
authors: Bevers
authors: K R
authors: KR
authors: Lucas
authors: T W
authors: TW
authors: Burke
authors: E G
authors: EG
authors: Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006176:Gynecology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology*; D012017:Referral and Consultation