title: Searching for metastases in ovarian tissue before autotransplantation: a tailor-made approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To exclude minimal residual disease in remaining ovarian tissue after harvesting the ovarian cortex for cryopreservation, by means of a tailor-made approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the ovarian and tubal tissue from 47 cancer patients (breast cancer, [non-]Hodgkin lymphoma; osteo-, Ewing, myxoid lipo-, and oropharyngeal synovial sarcoma; cervical, rectal, and esophageal cancer), who had stored ovarian tissue for fertility preservation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry (IHC) with tumor-related antibodies and genetic mutation analysis were performed to detect micrometastases by multiple sectioning at three levels of the paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed material. Molecular assays were performed with the use of tissue between these three levels of sectioning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detection of micrometastases in ovaries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed 847 ovarian slides to detect isolated tumor cells (ITCs) or micrometastases by IHC. In only one case (1/47) were ITCs detected in the fallopian tube. That patient had an intra-abdominal metastatic esophageal carcinoma. Additional DNA analyses of breast and rectal cancer, Ewing sarcoma, and human papilloma virus in cervical patients did not show evidence of micrometastases in the ovarian tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tailor-made approach consisted of patient-specific tumor markers which were used to search for ovarian micrometastases. We found evidence of metastatic disease within the fallopian tube of a patient with intraperitoneal metastatic esophageal adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address: e.j.hoekman@lumc.nl.
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hoekman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Vincent T H B M
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Timothy P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Leonie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Louwe
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gert Jan
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Fleuren
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands; Department of Gynecology, Reinier de Graaf Gasthuis Delft, Delft, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Carina G J M
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Hilders
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D059247:Fertility Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000556:secondary*; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor
keywords: Ovarian tissue cryopreservation; micrometastases; ovarian tissue transplantation