Oncologic and reproductive outcomes in patients with advanced-stage borderline ovarian tumors

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the oncologic safety and reproductive outcomes in patients with advanced-stage borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs).

Study design: The medical records of patients with advanced-stage BOTs who were treated between 1997 and 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Reproductive outcomes were assessed by telephone interviews.

Results: Six (24%) and 19 patients (76%) had stages II and III disease, respectively. Twenty patients (80%) were treated by radical surgery and five patients (20%) underwent fertility-sparing surgery. Five patients (20%) had invasive implants and 20 patients (80%) had non-invasive implants. The median follow-up time was 71.4 months (range, 10-135 months). Four patients relapsed after a median interval of 40 months (range, 16-77 months) following primary treatment. Of these four patients, two who initially had invasive implants relapsed in the form of invasive ovarian carcinoma. Patients with invasive implants (2 of 5 [40%]) tend to relapse more frequently than patients with non-invasive implants (2 of 20 [10%]). Among five women who underwent fertility-sparing surgery, four attempted to conceive and five singleton pregnancies occurred.

Conclusion: Patients with advanced-stage BOTs with non-invasive implants have an excellent prognosis. Fertility-sparing surgery should be considered if there are no invasive implants. Indeed, reproductive outcomes after fertility-sparing surgery with non-invasive implants are promising.