[Ovarian cancer after hysterectomy]

Between 1978 and 1988 we treated 538 patients at our department because of ovarian cancer. Among them were 37 patients, who had undergone hysterectomy before. When ovarian cancer was diagnosed, 28/37 were already in stage III or IV according to the FIGO classification (75.7%). Theoretically in 37/538 (6.8%) of our patients ovarian cancer could have been prevented by prophylactic oophorectomy during the previous hysterectomy performed because of other reasons. Current possibilities of hormone replacement could facilitate such a decision in individual cases.