[Ovarian metastases from colorectal cancers. Current place of prophylactic bilateral ovariectomy]

Ovarian metastases occur in the course of colorectal adenocarcinomas on 3 to 14% of cases. They are bilateral in 50-70% of cases and frequently occult (6 to 25%) and constitute a factor of poor short-term prognosis (median survival: 18 months). After analysing the features of ovarian metastases from colorectal cancers, the authors discuss the current place of prophylactic bilateral oophorectomy in terms of its indications and results. Although this procedure should clearly be performed routinely in postmenopausal patients, it is more controversial in women of reproductive age who, according to some authors, nevertheless constitute a group at high risk of ovarian metastases. The contribution of this prophylactic oophorectomy to the improvement in the prognosis of colorectal neoplasms has not been statistically established to date and needs to be demonstrated by means of prospective studies.