Krukenberg tumors from colorectal cancer: presentation, treatment and outcomes

Ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as Krukenberg Tumors (KT), occur in about 3 per cent of all colorectal cancer patients and make up between 5 to 10 per cent of all colorectal metastases. We sought to determine the effects of presentation of KT on treatment patterns and outcomes of patients diagnosed with KT. Under institutional approval, 26 patients diagnosed with KT were identified from an institutional CRC database from 1994 to 2010. Twenty-two patients presented at the same time of their CRC diagnosis and four patients presented after diagnosis and treatment of their primary CRC. Demographic presentation and treatment patterns were similar between the two groups. There was no overall survival difference between the two groups. The median overall survival in the entire cohort was 27 months. Factors affecting survival may include the extent of metastases and age at time of presentation. Patients who present with metastasis to the ovary alone may trend towards a better overall survival than patients who present with metastases to additional other sites.