Objective: Analysis of 10-year clinical series of borderline ovarian tumors (BLT) and literature review.
Design: Retrospective clinical study.
Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University and General Faculty Hospital, Prague.
Methods: Analysis of 38 patients from years 1994-2003 regarding age, histological types, tumor duplicities, role of frozen section, Ca125 levels, operation methods, adjuvant treatment, relaps occurrence, follow-up and survival.
Results: Median follow-up was 18.5 months (3-122), median age 51 (16-78).
Histology: 23 serous, 12 mucinous (1 microinvasion), 2 cystadenofibromas and 1 endosalpingiosis. 26 patients of stage IA, 3 of IB, 6 of IC, 1 of IIA, 1 of IIC and 1 IIIB. 3 cases were underestimated by frozen section. 6 tumor duplicities were revealed. Ca125 marker was elevated in 10/23 (43.5%) cases. 12 patients underwent conservative surgery, 3 of them with complete staging including lymphadenectomy. 26 patients had radical operation, 9 of them with full staging. No one lymphonode was positive. 7 patients had primary laparoscopic approach, 6 had more than one operation. Adjuvant chemotherapy was indicated in 3 cases: PTX-CBDCA (IC and IIC) and CBDCA-CFA (IC). 4 patients were lost of evidence. 2/34 evaluated patients (5.9%) had a frank carcinoma recurrence after 3 and 7 years. Both relapsed patients and all 34 evaluable patients live without evidence of disease at present. Our results as well as literature date generate some controversies. Do we need staging lymphadenectomy in all cases (inclusive T1a)? Which parameters identify high-risk group and which patients will benefit from adjuvant (and which one) therapy? Are there not recurrencies of BLT rather second primary malignancies?
Conclusion: In spite of 2 recurrences in a group of 34 evaluated cases all patients live without evidence of disease at present. Some management questions are therefore raised.