Clinical manifestations in patients with ovarian clear cell carcinoma with or without co-existing endometriosis

The symptoms associated with ovarian cancer are vague. Endometriosis, which causes dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia, is frequently detected along with ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC). We have therefore evaluated the clinical manifestations of OCCC based on the co-existence of endometriosis.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 43 patients who had been treated for OCCC at the National Cancer Center between June 2000 and July 2007. Using medical records and the cancer registry, the clinical features and laboratory findings were analysed.

Endometriosis was identified in 16 (37.2%) of the 43 patients with OCCC. The main presenting symptoms included a hard, palpable mass (32.6%), and newly developed or an exacerbation of dysmenorrhea (32.6%) and dyspareunia (25.6%). Gastrointestinal symptoms, pelvic pain, and abdominal distension existed in nine (20.9%), eight (18.6%) and one (2.3%) of the patients, respectively. The symptoms did not differ statistically in patients with or without endometriosis. Thirty-seven percent (11/30) of the patients had a normal CA-125 level (<35 U/ml); 18.8% (3/16) of the patients without endometriosis and 57% (8/14) of the patients with endometriosis had normal levels of CA-125 (<35 U/ml). Nine of 16 (56.3%) patients with early stage OCCC had a normal CA-125 level.

The main presenting symptoms in patients with OCCC include a hard, palpable mass, dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia, irrespective of co-existing endometriosis. A normal CA-125 level has limited value in excluding OCCC, especially in the early stages.