title: Primary sarcoma of the ovary: clinicopathological characteristics, prognostic factors and evaluation of therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The primary ovarian sarcoma is a very rare malignancy. The objective of this study was to further investigate the clinicopathologic features and outcome in patients with primary sarcoma of the ovary.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1988 and 2007, 24 patients with primary ovarian sarcoma who underwent treatment at Peking Union Medical Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Response to treatment, progression and overall survival were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with ovarian sarcoma had a mean age of (54.3 ± 10.3) years, and 16 of them were postmenopausal. The most common symptom was abdominal pain, present in 14 patients. Of the 24 patients, 16 patients were pathologically diagnosed as carcinosarcoma (known as malignant mixed mesodermal tumor (MMMT)), 2 as ovarian leiomyosarcoma (LS) and 6 patients as ovarian endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS). The patients in optimal debulking group had a median survival period of 28 months and 1-year survival rate of 71%. The patients in suboptimal debulking group had a significantly lower median survival of 6 months (P = 0.02) and 1-year survival rate of 29%. Among the patients, 23 patients received chemotherapy and most of regimens were based on platinum, 3 patients received chemoradiation. The mean number of courses of combined chemotherapy was 6.6 ± 5.0, and the response was unsatisfactory. The median survival for the entire group was 18.7 months. The one-year survival rate was 58%, and two-year survival rate only 29%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ovarian primary sarcoma has a poor overall prognosis. Optimal debulking surgery appears to be of prognostic significance. There is a clear need for further study to explore the role and the regimen of platinum-based chemotherapy in primary ovarian sarcoma.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College & Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Dai
authors: Keng
authors: K
authors: Shen
authors: Jing-he
authors: JH
authors: Lang
authors: Hui-fang
authors: HF
authors: Huang
authors: Ling-ya
authors: LY
authors: Pan
authors: Ming
authors: M
authors: Wu
authors: Jia-xin
authors: JX
authors: Yang
authors: Ding-rong
authors: DR
authors: Zhong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery*; D015996:Survival Rate