[Characterization of intraoperative rupture of epithelial ovarian cancer at early stage]

To investigate whether intraoperative rupture of epithelial ovarian cancer. influences the prognosis.

Between 1984 and 1994, 46 patients with stage Ia and Ic epithelial ovarian cancer were treated at Oita Medical University Hospital. Of 46 patients, 20 had stage Ia tumors, 16 stage Ic secondary to capsular invasion-serosal disease or positive ascites or washings (stage Ic-ascites), and 10 stage Ic secondary to intraoperative rupture (Ic-rupture). Survival analysis was performed to compare the three groups of patients.

The ages (mean +/- SD) of patients with stage Ia, Ic-ascites and Ic-rupture at the first diagnosis were 40.1 +/- 17.0, 47.6 +/- 13.4 and 52.8 +/- 15.7, respectively. The age of the stage Ia group tended to be lower than those of the Ic-ascites and Ic-rupture groups. At operation, ovarian tumors of all patients in the Ic-rupture group were firmly adhered to surrounding organs, had markedly thin weak cyst walls and were easily ruptured during operation. Fourteen of 20 patients in the Ia group (70%), 5 of 16 patients in the Ic-ascites group (31.3%) and 3 of 10 patients in the Ic-rupture group (30%) showed signs of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. The incidence of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in Ia group was significantly lower than in the Ic-ascites (p < 0.025, chi 2-test) and Ic-rupture (p < 0.05, chi 2-test) groups. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot for stage Ia, Ic-ascites and Ic-rupture patients revealed a probability of 5-year survival of 100%, 87.5% and 63.5%, respectively. The probability of 5-year survival in the Ic-rupture group tended to be lower than that in other groups.

The results of our study suggest that intraoperative rupture of a malignant ovarian cystic tumor may worsen the prognosis of patients with the FIGO stage I epithelial ovarian cancer.