The prevalence and prognostic impact of lymph node metastasis in malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary.
BACKGROUND
The purpose of this study is to report the prevalence and prognostic importance of lymph node metastasis in malignant germ cell tumors of the ovary (OGCT).


METHODS
Demographic and clinicopathologic information were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) from 1988 to 2004. Patients with a histologic diagnosis of OGCT after surgical resection were included. The study population was divided into Cohort A (lymph node metastasis absent) and Cohort B (lymph node metastasis present). Statistical analysis using Fisher's Exact Test, Kaplan-Meier survival methods, and Cox regression proportional hazards were performed.


RESULTS
In 613 patients with lymphadenectomy, the prevalence of lymphnode metastasis was 18.1% (111/613). In dysgerminoma, malignant teratoma and mixed germ cell tumors including pure non-dysgerminoma histology, the lymphnode metastasis was present in 28%, 8% and 16% patients respectively (p<0.05). Age, race, grade and extent of lymph node dissection influenced lymph node involvement but this was statistically not significant. Five year survival in Cohort A was 95.7% compared to 82.8% in Cohort B (p<0.001). After controlling for age, race, stage, grade and histology, multivariate analysis revealed the presence of lymph node involvement as an independent predictor of poor survival with a hazards ratio of 2.87 (95% CI 1.439-5.725; p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Prevalence of lymph node metastasis varies according to histology in OGCT and is an independent predictor of poor survival in these patients. These findings highlight the value of lymphadenectomy and may be helpful in creating risk stratification models for individualization of adjuvant therapies.
Kumar
Sanjeev
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Wayne State University School of Medicine Detroit, Michigan 48201, USA. skumar@med.wayne.edu
Shah
Jay P
JP
Bryant
Christopher S
CS
Imudia
Anthony N
AN
Cote
Michele L
ML
Ali-Fehmi
Rouba
R
Malone
John M
JM
Morris
Robert T
RT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D015995:Prevalence; D018426:SEER Program; D015996:Survival Rate; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology