Clinical features of 215 stage I ovarian tumors in Japanese women.
OBJECTIVE
Differences of the clinical features of Stage I borderline ovarian tumors and Stage I ovarian cancer need to be clarified.


METHODS
We retrospectively investigated 215 patients with Stage I ovarian tumors (67 with borderline tumors and 148 with ovarian cancer) treated between 1988 and 2001.


RESULTS
Only one patient with a borderline tumor developed recurrence, while recurrence was found in 20 patients with Stage I ovarian cancer. There was a significant difference in the recurrence rate between patients with Stage Ia or Ib ovarian cancer and those with Stage Ic cancer (p = 0.007). Clear cell adenocarcinoma showed a higher recurrence rate. Among our patients with recurrence, only five in whom the recurrent tumor could be surgically resected are currently alive and disease-free.


CONCLUSIONS
This study confirmed the low aggressiveness of Stage I borderline ovarian tumors and high aggressiveness of Stage Ic ovarian cancer or clear cell adenocarcinoma. In patients with recurrence, surgical resection may improve survival.
Kaku
S
S
Department of Gynecology, Cancer Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. kaku@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp
Takeshima
N
N
Umayahara
K
K
Furuta
R
R
Akiyama
F
F
Takizawa
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy