Epithelial ovarian cancer in patients under 20 years of age.
- Author:
Ji Hyang CHOI
1
;
Soo Young HUR
;
Seog Nyeon BAE
;
Seong Sup PARK
;
Sung Eun NAMKOONG
;
Joon Mo LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. leejm@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Epithelial ovarian cancer;
Children;
Adolescence;
Conservative management
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Adult;
Cause of Death;
Child;
Female;
Fertility;
Follow-Up Studies;
Humans;
Hysterectomy;
Mucins;
Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal;
Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial;
Ovarian Neoplasms;
Ovariectomy
- From:Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
2008;51(8):850-857
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common cause of death due to gynecologic malignancies in adults, but is rare in children and adolescents. This is a report of series of such patients under 20 years of age documenting their presentation, histologic type, stage of disease, treatment, and outcome. METHODS: We collected data on 21 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer under 20 years of age between January 1990 and December 2005. Patient records and pathology were reviewed. RESULTS: Epithelial ovarian cancer under 20 years of age was 2.2% in overall ovarian cancer. Epithelial ovarian cancer was 42.0% among 50 patients under 20 years of age and the most common histologic type was germ cell tumors (54%). The median age at the time of diagnosis was 17.6 years (range, 13-20 years), and the median follow-up was 87 months (range, 4-175 months). There were seventeen (81.0%) mucinous tumors, four (19.0%) serous tumors. About thirty-eight percent were low malignant potential or borderline tumors. About Eighty-five percent (18 patients) of tumors were stage I disease and about fourteen percent (3 patients) were stage III disease at the time of diagnosis. Surgical treatment included conservative surgery in 18 patients (85.7%), total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo- oophorectomy in 3 patients (14.3%). CONCLUSION: Epithelial ovarian cancers are rare in patients in children and adolescents. The majority of ovarian cancers in this age group are mucinous tumors, stage I at diagnosis and borderline ovarian tumor. Conservative management is feasible to achieve preservation of fertility.