[Pregnancy and malignant diseases. Part III--Ovarian cancer]

Abstract

The frequency of ovarian tumors during pregnancy is from 1:81 to 1:328 and most of them are functional cysts. Ovarian cancer varies from 1:10 000 to 1:25 000 pregnancies. It presents 2-5% of all ovarian tumors in pregnant women. If ovarian cancer is detected it should be managed according to the stage of the disease, nevertheless of pregnancy. Chemotherapy during pregnancy is under discussion, due to the lack of randomized trials. All chemotherapeutic agents are potentially teratogenic, especially in the first trimester. Retrospective investigations of the implementation of chemotherapy in the second and third trimester did not show congenital anomalies, but in some cases there is a fetal retardation. If diagnosed early, ovarian cancer may have good outcome for mother and newborn.