Malignant tumors metastatic to the ovaries

One hundred sixty-eight patients treated at Hacettepe Hospital between 1969-1993 with metastatic ovarian tumors constituted 21.5% of all malignant ovarian neoplasms. Primary tumors were endometrial (51), breast (27), colorectal (18), and stomach cancer (17), lymphoma (14), sarcoma of the uterus (13), undetermined (11), tumors of the appendix (6) and ileum (4), carcinoma of the cervix (4), and gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (3). Overall 5-year and median survivals were 20.0% and 26.8% months, respectively. While worse prognoses were seen in gastric cancer and undetermined tumors followed by colorectal cancer, best survival figures were observed in endometrial cancer patients. A trend toward a better survival was seen with the advancement of the operation from bilateral salpingooophorectomy, and/or biopsy to total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingooophorectomy, total omentectomy, pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy with debulking. Multivariate analysis identified the primary site, grade, laterality of involvement, type of surgery and adjuvant therapy status as significant prognostic parameters. Maximal surgical effort followed by adjuvant therapy might at least have some short term survival benefit in certain types metastatic to the ovaries.