Borderline ovarian tumors in reproductive-age women. Fertility-sparing surgery and outcome.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the fertility and survival outcomes in young women with borderline ovarian tumors treated with fertility-sparing surgery.


METHODS
From 1985 to 2002, 25 women with borderline ovarian cancers surgically managed with preservation of the uterus and at least a portion of 1 ovary were identified from tumor registry databases at 2 southern California hospitals. Data for analysis were collected from hospital charts, office records and tumor registry files.


RESULTS
Twenty-five patients (median age, 29 years) with borderline ovarian tumors, including 10 with stage IA, 3 with stage IC, 1 with stage IIIA and 11 with unstaged disease, underwent fertility-sparing surgery, consisting of unilateral adnexectomy in 19, unilateral adnexectomy with contralateral cystectomy in 5 and unilateral cystectomy in 1. No disease recurred, providing an overall survival of 100%. Fertility status was available on 15 patients 4-157 months after surgery; 6 of them attempted to become pregnant. Five women had successful pregnancies, with a total of 5 live births. One woman underwent assisted reproductive techniques, became pregnant but aborted. The median follow-up was 80 months (range, 4-157).


CONCLUSIONS
Conservative surgery for borderline ovarian tumors should be considered for women in the reproductive age group who desire preservation of fertility.
Chan
John K
JK
Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Irvine, Medical Center, Orange, USA.
Lin
Yvonne G
YG
Loizzi
Vera
V
Ghobriel
Mariam
M
DiSaia
Philip J
PJ
Berman
Michael L
ML
D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D019092:Conization / Q000379:methods*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome