Ovarian Cancer Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ovarian Cancer, including details on symptoms, causes, treatment, information.

Safety of simple cystectomy in patients with unilateral mucinous borderline tumors.

Salomon LJ, Lhommé C, Pautier P, Duvillard P, Morice P

Department of Surgery, Institut Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France.

OBJECTIVE: To report on ovarian carcinoma development after cystectomy for a borderline mucinous ovarian tumor. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: A French comprehensive cancer center. PATIENT(S): One patient who developed recurrence in the form of an invasive ovarian carcinoma after simple cystectomy for a borderline mucinous ovarian tumor. INTERVENTION(S): Simple cystectomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Clinical outcome. RESULT(S): A 22-year-old nulliparous patient underwent laparoscopic cystectomy. Histological examination revealed a borderline mucinous ovarian tumor. No additional treatment was prescribed. Two years later, the patient relapsed with a malignant mucinous ovarian carcinoma. She underwent surgical resection and staging, including hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, omentectomy, and pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy, and platinum-based chemotherapy. CONCLUSION(S): Recurrence in the form of invasive ovarian carcinoma may occur in the same ovary after cystectomy in cases of borderline mucinous ovarian tumor. An approach combining systematic unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and strict monitoring is preferable to simple cystectomy. Such treatment enables preservation of reproductive potential and reduces the risk of developing invasive carcinoma.

Published 1 May 2006 in Fertil Steril, 85(5): 1510.e1-4.
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