Mucinous borderline ovarian tumors with and without Intraepithelial Carcinoma: Differences in clinicopathologic...

To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristic and fertility results of patients with mucinous borderline ovarian tumors (MBOTs), and the effects of intraepithelial carcinoma (IECA) on them.

Fifty-two patients treated for MBOTs with or without IECA were retrospectively analyzed.

Patients with IECA were more frequently observed at stage Ic (3/12 vs 1/40, P = 0.034) and accompanied by microinvasive carcinoma (3/12 vs 1/40, P = 0.034). The detected rate of IECA by intraoperative frozen section (5/12, 41.7%) was much lower than that of MBOTs (82.5%, P = 0.010). About 61.5% patients in our study underwent fertility-sparing surgery. Follow-up information was retained completely in 41 patients. And all four tumor recurrences were observed (9.8%) in conservative surgery group in 66 months, though there was no statistical association (P = 0.280). There were three patients who recurred more than once, even one occurred tumor-related death. Only one recurrent patient was in IECA group (P > 0.05). However, patients with IECA were more likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy (3 of 12 vs 0 of 40, P = 0.010) and surgical staging (75% vs 52.5%, P = 0.200). As for fertility results, nine patients wished to be pregnant and seven of them (77.8%) were successful.

For young patients with MBOTs, fertility results are satisfactory after conservative surgery. But patients should be fully informed about the relative high recurrent rate. And IECA has no statistical negative effects on MBOTs till now, but a long-term follow-up is required.