Peritoneal implants of ovarian serous borderline tumors. Histologic features and prognosis

Durable response to BRAF inhibitor monotherapy in recurrent metastatic low grade serous ovarian cancer

Low grade serous ovarian cancers (LGSOC) in an advanced setting have limited systemic treatment options. In this paper we report a case of metastatic LGSOC harboring a BRAF mutation, treated with dabrafenib. We discuss the clinical, pathologic and molecular characteristics as well as surgical considerations and ongoing investigations in LGSOC.

Oncological and Reproductive Outcomes after Fertility-Sparing Surgery in Patients with Advanced-Stage Serous Borderline Ovarian Tumor: A Single-Center Retrospective Study

Our study aimed to analyze the prognosis and reproductive outcomes of patients with advanced-stage serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOTs) who underwent fertility-sparing surgery (FSS). This study included patients aged ≤ 45 years diagnosed with advanced-stage (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics II and III) SBOTs who were treated with FSS. Conservative surgeries were performed in 65 patients with advanced-stage SBOT with a median age of 28 years (range, 16-44 years). Nine patients had invasive implants. The median follow-up was 81.7 months. Forty-six patients (70.8%) had a relapse (median time to first recurrence, 22.8 months). Thirteen patients subsequently developed recurrence as an invasive disease, and two died due to disease progression. After multivariate analysis, age < 30 years and incomplete cytoreduction were independent risk factors for recurrence. Invasive implants and postoperative residual tumors were significantly associated with shorter disease-free survival. Of 35 patients attempting to conceive, 12 underwent assisted reproductive technology. Additionally, 19 pregnancies, including 15 full-term births, were documented. FSS provides a good chance of reproductive success in women with advanced-stage SBOT who desire fertility preservation, but it has a high recurrence rate and risk of malignancy transformation. Patients with invasive implants should be strictly selected for FSS.

Risk Factors for Recurrence of Borderline Ovarian Tumours after Conservative Surgery and Impact on Fertility: A Multicentre Study by the Francogyn Group

Introduction: Borderline ovarian tumours (BOT) represent 10–20% of epithelial tumours of the ovary. Although their prognosis is excellent, the recurrence rate can be as high as 30%, and recurrence in the infiltrative form accounts for 3% to 5% of recurrences. Affecting, in one third of cases, women of childbearing age, the surgical strategy with ovarian conservation is now recommended despite a significant risk of recurrence. Few studies have focused exclusively on patients who have received ovarian conservative treatment in an attempt to identify factors predictive of recurrence and the impact on fertility. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for recurrence of BOT after conservative treatment and the impact on fertility. Material and methods: This was a retrospective, multicentre study of women who received conservative surgery for BOT between February 1997 and September 2020. We divided the patients into two groups, the “R group” with recurrence and the “NR group” without recurrence. Results: Of 175 patients included, 35 had a recurrence (R group, 20%) and 140 had no recurrence (NR group, 80%). With a mean follow-up of 30 months (IQ 8–62.5), the overall recurrence rate was 20%. Recurrence was BOT in 17.7% (31/175) and invasive in 2.3% (4/175). The mean time to recurrence was 29.5 months (IQ 16.5–52.5). Initial complete peritoneal staging (ICPS) was performed in 42.5% of patients (n = 75). In multivariate analysis, age at diagnosis, nulliparity, advanced FIGO stage, the presence of peritoneal implants, and the presence of a micropapillary component for serous tumours were factors influencing the occurrence of recurrence. The post-surgery fertility rate was 67%. Conclusion: This multicentre study is to date one of the largest studies analysing the risk factors for recurrence of BOT after conservative surgery. Five risk factors were found: age at diagnosis, nulliparity, advanced FIGO stage, the presence of implants, and a micropapillary component. Only 25% of the patients with recurrence underwent ICPS. These results reinforce the interest of initial peritoneal staging to avoid ignoring an advanced tumour stage.

The role of cytology as an effective tool in management of omental and peritoneal lesions: Experience of a large health care system

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of cytology in omental or peritoneal lesions.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the pathology database for cytology cases of peritoneal or omental nodules over a 3-year period (2016-2018) was conducted. The cases consisted of either FNA only (FO); FNA and Core biopsy (FCB) or Touch prep and core biopsy (TCB). Cases were further divided based on the prior history of carcinoma. Concordance rates of cytologic diagnosis with histologic diagnosis were studied.

RESULTS

Out of 104 cytology cases reviewed, 60 (57.7%) had prior history of cancer (PHC) and 44 (42.3%) had no prior history of cancer (NPHC). Of the cases with PHC, 43(71.66%) were recurrence, 10 (16.66%) were second cancer, and 7 (11.66%) were non-neoplastic lesions. Of the cases with NPHC, 38 (86.4%) had a second cancer diagnosis, while 6 (13.6%) were non-neoplastic. For FO only cases, 11 of 35 (31.4%) had follow up and 9 of 11 (81.8%) were concordant. For FCB cases, 6 out of 39 (15.4%) had follow up and 6 (100%) were concordant. For TCB cases, 9 out of 30 (30%) had follow up and 9 (100%) were concordant. A definite diagnosis was reached in 30/35, 39/39, and 29/30 cases in FO, FCB, and TCB, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In summary, cytologic evaluation of omental lesions is an effective tool in providing accurate diagnosis and guiding further management. Also, the results based on our study show that the combined techniques are superior at reaching a definitive diagnosis.

Fertility-sparing treatment in advanced-stage serous borderline ovarian tumors. An analysis from the MITO14 study database

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate oncological and reproductive outcomes of women undergoing fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) for stage II-III serous borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs).

METHODS

A multi-institutional retrospective study was conducted within the MITO Group.

RESULTS

A total of 91 patients were recruited. The median follow-up time from primary cytoreduction was 127 months (IQR range 91-179). Forty-nine patients (53.8%) experienced at least one recurrence (median time to first relapse 22 months, IQR range 9.5-57). At univariable analysis, significant predictors of relapse were: size of largest extra-ovarian lesion, peritoneal cancer index, completeness of cytoreduction, type of implants. After multivariable analysis, the size of extra-ovarian lesions and the presence of invasive implants resulted as the only independent predictors of recurrence. Median disease-free survival (DFS) was 96 months (95% CI, 24.6-167.3), while median disease-specific survival (DSS) was not reached. Twenty-nine patients (31.8%) attempted to conceive: 20 (68.9%) achieved at least one pregnancy and 18 (62%) gave birth to a healthy child. At the end of the observation period, 88 patients (96.7%) showed no evidence of disease, 2 (2.2%) were alive with disease, and 1 patient (1.1%) died from BOT.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the recurrence high rate, FSS provides good chances of reproductive success with no impact on DSS. The presence of invasive peritoneal implants affects the DFS but not DSS nor reproductive outcome. The risk of recurrence would not seem to be related to the ovarian preservation per se, but to the natural history of the initial peritoneal spread.

Results After Conservative Surgery of Stage II/III Serous Borderline Ovarian Tumors

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of a large series of patients treated conservatively for stage II or III serous borderline tumors of the ovary (SBOTs) with a long-term follow-up.

METHODS

Patients with SBOTs and peritoneal implants, treated in or referred to our institution, were retrospectively reviewed. Outcomes of patients treated conservatively (preservation of the uterus and at least a part of one ovary) to promote subsequent fertility were specifically analyzed.

RESULTS

Between 1971 and 2017, 212 patients were identified and followed-up. Among these patients, 65 underwent conservative treatment; eight patients had invasive implants. Among patients treated conservatively, 38 (58%) patients recurred. Twenty-eight recurrences were observed under the form of borderline tumor on the spared ovary and/or noninvasive implants, but eight patients had a recurrence under the form of invasive disease. Compared with radical surgery, the use of conservative treatment (p < 0.0001) was a prognostic factor on disease-free survival (DFS), but without an impact on overall survival (OS). Nevertheless, three deaths occurred. Twenty-four pregnancies (13 spontaneous) were observed in 20 patients (29 patients wanted to become pregnant).

CONCLUSION

In this series collecting the largest number of patients undergoing conservative surgery for stage II/III SBOTs, spontaneous pregnancies can be achieved after conservative treatment of advanced-stage disease, but the recurrence rate is high and three deaths were observed. These patients were spared their fertility but with a high rate of recurrence. Uncertainties regarding the safety of conservative treatment should be exposed to these patients.

[Borderline ovarian tumours: CNGOF Guidelines for clinical practice - Biopathology of ovarian borderline tumors]

OBJECTIVES

Ovarian borderline tumors (OBT) represent a heterogeneous group of lesions with specific management for each histological subtype. Thus, the correct histological diagnosis is mandatory.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

References were searched by PubMed from January 2000 to January 2018 and original articles in French and English literature were selected.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

OBT should be classified according to the last WHO classification. Any micro-invasion (foci<5mm) or microcarcinoma (foci<5mm with nuclear atypia and desmoplastic stromal reaction) should be indicated in the pathology report. In case of serous OBT, variants (classical or the micropapillary/cribriform) should be indicated (grade C). The peritoneal implants associated with OBT, should be classified as invasive or noninvasive, according to the extension into the underlying adipous tissue. If no adipous tissue is seen the term undetermined should be used (grade B). In case of mucinous OBT bilateral and/or with peritoneal implants or peritoneal pseudomyxoma a search for primitive gastrointestinal, appendiceal or biliopancreatic tumor should be performed (grade C). In case of OBT, a thorough sampling of the tumor is recommended, with 1 block/cm and 2 blocks/cm in case of mucinous OBT, serous OBT micropapillary variant, OBT with intraepithelial carcinoma or/and micro-invasion. Peritoneal implants should be examined in toto. Omentum without macroscopic lesion should be sampled in 4 to 6 blocks (grade C). In case of ovarian cyst suspicious for OBT, fine needle aspiration is not recommended (grade C). In case of ovarian tumor suspicious for OBT, intraoperative examination should be performed by a gynecological pathologist (grade C).

Long term follow-up of a large series of stage-II/III atypical proliferative serous ovarian tumors

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to assess prognostic factors and implications on further management in a large series of stage-II or III Atypical Proliferative Serous Tumors (APST) with a long-term follow-up.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with APSTs and peritoneal implants treated in, or referred to, our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Prognostic factors on invasive recurrence, disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were analyzed.

RESULTS

Between 1971 and 2017, 212 patients were identified and followed (33 having invasive implants). After a median follow-up of 115 months, 70 recurrences were observed, 28 of them under the form of invasive disease. DFS at 5 years and 10 years was 73% and 62% respectively. The use of a conservative treatment (HR = 5.5[3.33-9.08], p < .0001), the presence of ≥3 peritoneal sites with implants (HR = 1.65[1.01-2.72], p = .045) were unfavorable prognostic factors for DFS. The presence of ≥3 peritoneal sites with implants (HR = 3.02[0.96-9.53], p = .049) and the presence of stromal microinvasion (HR = 3.19[1.12-9.1], p = .022) were unfavorable prognostic factors for OS. Non-conservative surgery (HR = 7[2.35-20.87], p = .0002), invasive implants (HR = 5.37[1.29-22.26], p = .013), and ≥ 3 peritoneal sites with implants (HR = 3.56 [1.11-11.39], p = .024) were identified as predictors of recurrence in the form of an invasive disease. Invasive implants were not associated with DFS (HR = 1.39[0.77-2.51], p = .27), nor OS (HR = 1.76[0.57-5.47], p = .32).

CONCLUSION

After a long-term follow-up, type of peritoneal implants is no longer a prognostic factor for OS. Implants ≥3 peritoneal sites seem to impact significantly OS and then require a specific follow-up in this subgroup of patients.

Ovarian tumors: a survey of selected advances of note during the life of this journal

The author reviews highlights of advances in knowledge concerning ovarian tumor pathology since the time of an essay in the first issue of this Journal written by Dr Robert E. Scully, who, both before and for several decades after the Journal was instituted, made many original contributions to the field and was the major architect of the 1973 World Health Organization classification of ovarian tumors which was much more clear and logical than prior ones. The current review considers the neoplasms in essentially the same order as was done in the first issue of this journal and presents a personal look at the highlights of new information concerning various well-known categories, surface epithelial, germ cell, sex cord-stromal, metastatic neoplasms and briefly, benign so-called tumor-like lesions. Some of the most notable developments are as follows: (1) an orderly approach to the classification of implants of serous borderline tumors into noninvasive and invasive categories; (2) recognition of distinctive micropapillary patterns seen in some borderline tumors and low-grade carcinomas; (3) a remarkable propensity for some endometrioid carcinomas to mimic sex cord- stromal tumors; (4) appreciation of the differences between primary mucinous tumors of intestinal and müllerian types; (5) the importance of distinguishing within primary mucinous carcinomas between expansile and destructive stromal invasion; (6) emphasis on the diagnosis of immature teratoma being based on the presence of primitive-embryonic-appearing tissues; (7) appreciation of variant morphology of cases of struma ovarii which may lead to significant diagnostic problems; (8) subdivision of granulosa cell tumors into adult and juvenile types because of the differing features of the two groups including in the second category the propensity for more malignant neoplasms to be mimicked; (9) recognition of a distinctive form of Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, the retiform variant, with a propensity to occur in the young; (10) appreciation of a unique highly malignant neoplasm that typically afflicts the young and may be associated with hypercalcemia, so-called small cell carcinoma of hypercalcemic type; (11) greater awareness than was hitherto the case of the propensity for metastatic intestinal adenocarcinoma to mimic primary endometrioid carcinoma and similarly for metastatic mucinous carcinomas to simulate primary mucinous cystic tumors; (12) recognition of the distinctive features of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasms that spread to the ovary and are typically associated with pseudomyxoma peritonei; and (13) appreciation that the histologic spectrum seen in cases of Krukenberg tumor is broader than often previously thought.

Intraoperative consultation for ovarian tumors

The primary function of intraoperative frozen consultation is to provide an as accurate and prompt diagnosis as possible during surgery and to guide the surgeon in further management. However, the evaluation of frozen section (FS) is sometimes difficult because of suboptimal tissue quality and frozen artifacts compared with routinely processed tissue section. The pathologist responsible for the FS diagnosis requires experience and good judgment. Ovarian tumors are a heterogeneous group of tumors including primary surface epithelial tumors, germ cell tumors and sex cord-stromal tumors, secondary tumors, and other groups of tumors of uncertain histogenesis or nonspecific stroma. Intraoperative FS is a very important and reliable tool that guides the surgical management of ovarian tumors. In this review, the diagnostic key points for the pathologist and the implication of the FS diagnosis on the operator's decisions are discussed.

Low-grade Serous Carcinoma Arising in Inguinal Nodal Endosalpingiosis: Report of 2 Cases and Literature Review

We report 2 cases of low-grade serous carcinoma probably arising from endosalpingiosis within inguinal lymph nodes. The neoplasms occurred in 51- and 58-yr old women in the absence of tumor within the adnexa, peritoneum or elsewhere. These represent the first reported examples of low-grade serous carcinoma arising within and confined to inguinal nodes. We review the pertinent literature regarding primary nodal low-grade serous carcinoma.

Frontiers in the Pathology and Pathogenesis of Ovarian Cancer: Cancer Precursors and "Precursor Escape"

This article summarizes the pathogenesis of ovarian carcinoma, focusing on the paradox of high-grade serous carcinogenesis. The fallopian tube is the prime site of origin in early serous cancers. Because a subset of serous cancers is associated with early serous proliferations absent intramucosal carcinomas, "precursor escape" is emerging, whereby some advanced cancers trace their roots to early serous proliferations. This has parallels in the endometriosis model and opens up a novel mechanism by which advanced malignancy could emerge without an obvious tubal carcinoma. The impact of this concept on classification of serous cancer and expectations from preventive strategies are discussed.

Clinical Predictors of Recurrence and Prognostic Value of Lymph Node Involvement in the Serous Borderline Ovarian Tumor

AIM

This study was aimed to evaluate the risk factors of recurrence and the value of nodal involvement in patients with serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOT).

METHODS

Two hundred twenty-five patients who underwent surgery and were diagnosed with SBOT were retrospectively studied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to assess the risk factors for recurrence. Patients' clinical pathologic characteristics were compared between the patients who presented lymph node involvement and those who did not. The significant values of lymph condition influencing 5-year disease-free survival were also evaluated by statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that risk factors for recurrence were micropapillary (P = 0.021), fertility-preserving surgery (P = 0.014), and laparoscopic approach (P = 0.009). Of these 112 patients on whom lymphadenectomy was performed, 17 cases showed lymph node positive, whereas the remaining 95 patients did not. Significant differences in terms of lymph node numbers (P < 0.0001), invasive implant (P = 0.022), and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging (P < 0.0001) were observed between the 2 groups of lymphatic node involved or not. Kaplan-Meier curves of 5-year disease-free survival revealed that there were no significant differences either between groups of lymphatic node involved or not (P = 0.778) and groups of removed nodes whether more than 10 or not (P = 0.549).

CONCLUSIONS

Micropapillary, fertility-preserving, and laparoscopic approach were factors significantly affecting the recurrence of SBOT by both univariate and multivariate analysis. Lymph node metastasis did not seem to be correlated to a worse prognosis of SBOT.

CT Features of Ovarian Tumors: Defining Key Differences Between Serous Borderline Tumors and Low-Grade Serous Carcinomas

OBJECTIVE

The objective of our study was to investigate whether the CT features of serous borderline tumors (SBTs) differ from those of low-grade serous carcinomas (LGSCs) and to evaluate if mutation status is associated with distinct CT phenotypes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 59 women, 37 with SBT and 22 with LGSC, who underwent CT before primary surgical resection. Thirty of 59 patients were genetically profiled. Two radiologists (readers 1 and 2) independently and retrospectively reviewed CT examinations for qualitative features and quantified total tumor volumes (TTVs), solid tumor volumes (STVs), and solid proportion of ovarian masses. Univariate and multivariate associations of the CT features with histopathologic diagnoses and mutations were evaluated, and interreader agreement was determined.

RESULTS

At multivariate analysis, the presence of bilateral ovarian masses (p = 0.03), the presence of peritoneal disease (PD) (p = 0.002), and higher STV of ovarian masses (p = 0.002) were associated with LGSC. The presence of nodular PD pattern (p < 0.001 each reader) and the presence of PD calcifications (reader 1, p = 0.02; reader 2, p = 0.003) were associated with invasive peritoneal lesions (i.e., LGSC). The presence of bilateral ovarian masses (p = 0.04 each reader), PD (reader 1, p = 0.01; reader 2, p = 0.004), and higher STV (p = 0.03 for each reader) were associated with the absence of BRAF mutation (i.e., wild type [wt]-BRAF).

CONCLUSION

The CT features of LGSCs were distinct from those of SBTs. The CT manifestations of LGSC and the wt-BRAF phenotype were similar.

KRAS mutation of extraovarian implants of serous borderline tumor: prognostic indicator for adverse clinical outcome

In contrast to non-invasive extraovarian implants, invasive implants of ovarian serous borderline tumor/atypical proliferative serous tumor are associated with adverse outcome and have been reclassified as low-grade serous carcinoma. Mutations of KRAS and/or BRAF have been reported in up to 50% of serous borderline tumor/atypical proliferative serous tumor. We investigated KRAS and BRAF mutation frequencies in the two types of implants of serous borderline tumor/atypical proliferative serous tumor in correlation with clinical outcome. Forty-two implants of serous borderline tumor from 39 patients were included (invasive implants/low-grade serous carcinoma, n=20; non-invasive implants, n=22). KRAS mutation was found in 12 of 20 invasive implants (60%) and 3 of 22 non-invasive implants (14%). BRAF V600E mutation was found in 1 of 22 non-invasive implants (5%) and none in invasive implants (0%). Invasive implants were more frequently associated with higher stage disease. Nine of 14 patients (64%) with KRAS mutation were found to have stage IIIC disease, while 5 of 24 patients (20%) without the mutation had stage IIIC disease. Patients with invasive implants had higher recurrence rate compared to those with non-invasive implants (60 vs 14 %, P=0.0003, log-rank test) and worse disease-specific survival (P=0.0008, log-rank test). Regardless of the histological subtypes, patients with KRAS mutation positive implants had significantly higher recurrence rate than those without the mutation (71 vs 21%, P=0.0021, log-rank test) and an unfavorable disease-specific survival (P=0.0104, log-rank test). In conclusion, compared to those with non-invasive implants, patients with invasive implants present with higher stage of the disease, higher recurrence rate and worse survival. KRAS mutation, but not BRAF V600E mutation, is significantly associated with invasive implants of serous borderline tumor. Regardless of the histological subtypes of the implants, KRAS mutation is a significant prognostic indicator for high risk of tumor recurrence and worse disease-specific survival.

Long-term Behavior of Serous Borderline Tumors Subdivided Into Atypical Proliferative Tumors and Noninvasive Low-grade Carcinomas: A Population-based Clinicopathologic Study of 942 Cases

Ovarian serous borderline tumors (SBTs) have been the subject of considerable controversy, particularly with regard to terminology and behavior. It has been proposed that they constitute a heterogenous group of tumors composed, for the most part, of typical SBTs that are benign and designated "atypical proliferative serous tumor (APST)" and a small subset of SBTs with micropapillary architecture that have a poor outcome and are designated "noninvasive low-grade serous carcinoma (niLGSC)". It also has been argued that the difference in behavior between the 2 groups is not due to the subtype of the primary tumor but rather the presence of extraovarian disease, specifically invasive implants. According to the terminology of the 2014 WHO Classification, typical SBTs are equivalent to APSTs and SBTs displaying micropapillary architecture are synonymous with niLGSC. In addition, "invasive implants" were renamed "low-grade serous carcinoma" (LGSC). The argument as to whether it is the appearance of the primary tumor or the presence of extraovarian LGSC that determines outcome remains unsettled. The current study was initiated in 2004 and was designed to determine what factors were predictive of outcome, with special attention to the appearance of the primary tumor (APST vs. niLGSC) and that of the extraovarian disease (noninvasive vs. invasive implants). Our study is population based, involving the entire female population of Denmark. None of the women in the study were lost to follow-up, which ranged up to 36 years (median, 15 y). All the microscopic slides from the contributing hospitals were rereviewed by a panel of 2 pathologists (R.V. and R.J.K.) who were blinded to the follow-up. After excluding those that were not SBTs by the pathology panel, as well as cases with a prior or concurrent cancer or undefined stage, 942 women remained, of which 867 were APSTs and 75 were niLGSCs. The median patient age was 50 years (range, 16 to 97 y). Eight hundred nine women (86%) presented with FIGO stage I disease, whereas 133 (14%) had advanced stage disease. Compared with APSTs, niLGSC exhibited a significantly greater frequency of bilaterality, residual gross disease after surgery, microinvasion/microinvasive carcinoma, advanced stage disease, and invasive implants at presentation (P-values <0.003). Because the cause of death is difficult to accurately ascertain from death certificates, we used development of invasive serous carcinoma as the primary endpoint as following development of carcinoma, the mortality is very high. In the entire cohort, subsequent development of carcinoma occurred in 4%, of which 93% were low grade and 7% high grade (median time, 10 y; range, up to 25 y). After adjusting for age at and time since diagnosis of APST or niLGSC, occurrence of subsequent carcinoma was significantly higher with niLGSC than APST among all stages combined (hazard ratio [HR]=3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-8.2). This difference was still significant for stage I but not advanced stage cases. Moreover, all-cause mortality was not statistically significantly different between APST and niLGSC. Of all women with advanced stage disease, 114 (86%) had noninvasive implants, whereas 19 (14%) were invasive. Noninvasive implants were significantly associated with subsequent development of carcinoma (HR=7.7; 95% CI, 3.9-15.0), but the risk with invasive implants was significantly higher (HR=42.3; 95% CI, 16.1-111.1). In conclusion, although invasive implants are the most important feature in predicting an adverse outcome, subclassification into APST and niLGSC is important as it stratifies women with respect to risk for advanced stage disease and invasive implants for all women and development of serous carcinoma for stage I cases.

Management of Borderline Ovarian Tumors-Still a Gray Zone

Borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) are a heterogeneous group of non-invasive epithelial ovarian tumors that occur at a younger age, present in early stage, frequently associated with infertility but are easily curable. Although they may have symptomatic long-term recurrences, they have an excellent prognosis in spite of peritoneal spread. Among the epithelial tumors of the ovary, BOTs fall in the spectrum lying between cystadenomas (benign) and cystadenocarcinomas (malignant). Their oncological behavior is more aggressive than benign ovarian tumors but relatively less than that of malignant ovarian tumors. Since the age group affected is usually young females, preservation of fertility is an important aspect of treatment protocol. Although the management of these tumors has been extensively discussed, it still remains a controversial gray zone. In this review, epidemiology, pathogenesis, histologic subtypes, various surgical approaches, follow-up, and management of recurrence have been discussed. Choosing the best treatment still poses a challenge for the treating oncosurgeon.

Long-term Behavior of Serous Borderline Tumors Subdivided Into Atypical Proliferative Tumors and Noninvasive Low-grade Carcinomas: A Population-based Clinicopathologic Study of 942 Cases

Ovarian serous borderline tumors (SBTs) have been the subject of considerable controversy, particularly with regard to terminology and behavior. It has been proposed that they constitute a heterogenous group of tumors composed, for the most part, of typical SBTs that are benign and designated "atypical proliferative serous tumor (APST)" and a small subset of SBTs with micropapillary architecture that have a poor outcome and are designated "noninvasive low-grade serous carcinoma (niLGSC)". It also has been argued that the difference in behavior between the 2 groups is not due to the subtype of the primary tumor but rather the presence of extraovarian disease, specifically invasive implants. According to the terminology of the 2014 WHO Classification, typical SBTs are equivalent to APSTs and SBTs displaying micropapillary architecture are synonymous with niLGSC. In addition, "invasive implants" were renamed "low-grade serous carcinoma" (LGSC). The argument as to whether it is the appearance of the primary tumor or the presence of extraovarian LGSC that determines outcome remains unsettled. The current study was initiated in 2004 and was designed to determine what factors were predictive of outcome, with special attention to the appearance of the primary tumor (APST vs. niLGSC) and that of the extraovarian disease (noninvasive vs. invasive implants). Our study is population based, involving the entire female population of Denmark. None of the women in the study were lost to follow-up, which ranged up to 36 years (median, 15 y). All the microscopic slides from the contributing hospitals were rereviewed by a panel of 2 pathologists (R.V. and R.J.K.) who were blinded to the follow-up. After excluding those that were not SBTs by the pathology panel, as well as cases with a prior or concurrent cancer or undefined stage, 942 women remained, of which 867 were APSTs and 75 were niLGSCs. The median patient age was 50 years (range, 16 to 97 y). Eight hundred nine women (86%) presented with FIGO stage I disease, whereas 133 (14%) had advanced stage disease. Compared with APSTs, niLGSC exhibited a significantly greater frequency of bilaterality, residual gross disease after surgery, microinvasion/microinvasive carcinoma, advanced stage disease, and invasive implants at presentation (P-values <0.003). Because the cause of death is difficult to accurately ascertain from death certificates, we used development of invasive serous carcinoma as the primary endpoint as following development of carcinoma, the mortality is very high. In the entire cohort, subsequent development of carcinoma occurred in 4%, of which 93% were low grade and 7% high grade (median time, 10 y; range, up to 25 y). After adjusting for age at and time since diagnosis of APST or niLGSC, occurrence of subsequent carcinoma was significantly higher with niLGSC than APST among all stages combined (hazard ratio [HR]=3.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7-8.2). This difference was still significant for stage I but not advanced stage cases. Moreover, all-cause mortality was not statistically significantly different between APST and niLGSC. Of all women with advanced stage disease, 114 (86%) had noninvasive implants, whereas 19 (14%) were invasive. Noninvasive implants were significantly associated with subsequent development of carcinoma (HR=7.7; 95% CI, 3.9-15.0), but the risk with invasive implants was significantly higher (HR=42.3; 95% CI, 16.1-111.1). In conclusion, although invasive implants are the most important feature in predicting an adverse outcome, subclassification into APST and niLGSC is important as it stratifies women with respect to risk for advanced stage disease and invasive implants for all women and development of serous carcinoma for stage I cases.

A nationwide study of ovarian serous borderline tumors in Denmark 1978-2002. Risk of recurrence, and development of ovarian serous carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Absolute risk and risk factors for recurrence and ovarian serous carcinoma following ovarian serous borderline tumors (SBTs) is not well-established.

METHODS

We included all women with SBTs in Denmark, 1978-2002. Diagnoses were confirmed by centralized pathology review and classified as atypical proliferative serous tumor (APST) or noninvasive low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC). Implants were classified as noninvasive or invasive. Medical records were collected and reviewed, and follow-up was obtained. Subsequent diagnoses were also confirmed by centralized pathology review. We examined absolute risk and risk factors for recurrent APST and serous carcinoma using Cox regression.

RESULTS

The absolute serous carcinoma risk after, respectively, 5 and 20years was 5.0% and 13.9% for noninvasive LGSC, and 0.9% and 3.7% for APST. Serous carcinoma risk was significantly higher following noninvasive LGSC compared with APST among stage I patients/patients without implants (HR=5.3; 95% CI: 1.7-16.3), whereas no significant association with tumor type was found in advanced stage patients/patients with implants. Advanced stage - notably invasive implants - bilaterality, surface involvement, and residual disease increased serous carcinoma risk. However, women with stage I APST also had a higher risk than the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

This largest population-based cohort of verified SBTs revealed that women with noninvasive LGSC are significantly more likely to develop serous carcinoma than women with APST, which could not entirely be explained by invasive implants. Although invasive implants was a strong risk factor for serous carcinoma, even women with stage I APST were at increased risk compared with the general population.

Transforming Growth Factor-alpha and c-erbB-2 Oncogene Products in Ovarian Epithelial Tumors

The distribution of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) and c- erbB-2 proteins was immunohistochemically analyzed in 49 epithelial ovarian neoplasms to determine their implication as molecular modulators of epithelial ovarian cancer progression and as possible prognosticators of outcome. TGF-alpha cytoplasmic immunoreactivity was strongly positive in 100% of adenomas (ADs)(N=11) and tumors of low malignant potential (LMPs)(N=17) but in only 19% of invasive carcinomas (ICAs)(N=21). TGF-alpha immunoreactivity was selective of the ovarian epithelium. Interestingly, in the TGF-alpha-positive carcinomas, the monoclonal antibody decorated the better-differentiated areas of the tumor (ie, areas with papillary architecture), leaving the less differentiated solid areas unstained. Strong p185 c- erb B-2 protein cytoplasmic immunoreactivity was present in 45% of ADs but also in 48% of ICAs. The LMPs, however, expressed c -erbB-2 only at low frequency. These data suggest the involvement of c- erbB-2 in the progression of some ovarian carcinomas but not others. Conversely, the strong TGF-alpha expression in ADs and LMPs, which fades in ICAs, implies an alteration of the TGF-alpha expression in the progression of epithelial ovarian tumors. Failure of the poorly differentiated carcinomas to decorate with TGF-alpha seems to indicate that TGF-alpha is a marker of tumor grade. Int J Surg Pnthol4(3):00-00, 1997

Invasion Patterns of Metastatic Extrauterine High-grade Serous Carcinoma With BRCA Germline Mutation and Correlation With Clinical Outcomes

Characteristic histopathologic features have been described in high-grade serous carcinoma associated with BRCA abnormalities (HGSC-BRCA), which are known to have relatively favorable clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of invasion patterns in metastatic HGSC-BRCA cases. Of the 37 cases of advanced-stage HGSC with known BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutation retrieved from our institutional files, 23 patients had a germline mutation of BRCA1 and 14 had a BRCA2 mutation. The pattern of invasion at metastatic sites was recorded and classified as a pushing pattern (either predominantly or exclusively), an exclusively micropapillary infiltrative pattern, or an infiltrative pattern composed of papillae, micropapillae, glands, and nests (mixed infiltrative pattern). Histologic evaluation of metastases was performed without knowledge of genotype or clinical outcome. Clinical data were abstracted from medical records. Median age was 56 years (range, 31 to 73 y). All patients presented at stage IIIC or IV and underwent complete surgical staging followed by chemotherapy. All 37 HGSC-BRCA cases showed either pushing pattern metastases (30; 81%) or infiltrative micropapillary metastases (7; 19%). No HGSC-BRCA case exhibited metastases composed solely of mixed infiltrative patterns. Among the 7 infiltrative micropapillary cases, 6 had a BRCA1 germline mutation versus 1 with a BRCA2 mutation. The median time of follow-up was 26 months (range, 13 to 49 mo). All 7 patients with infiltrative micropapillary metastases either experienced recurrence or died of disease (5 recurrences and 2 deaths), which was significantly worse than what was seen in patients with predominantly pushing pattern metastases, of whom 16 of 30 (53%) experienced recurrence (n=14) or died of disease (n=2) (P=0.03). In conclusion, the recognition of different invasion patterns of metastatic extrauterine HGSC-BRCA has prognostic implications. The infiltrative micropapillary pattern is associated with poor outcomes and is more frequently seen in BRCA1-associated HGSC than in BRCA2 cases.

Clinicopathologic features of ovarian neoplasms with emphasis on borderline ovarian tumors: an institutional perspective

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy and it represents third most common malignancy in Karachi (after breast and oral cancer). Due to lack of well established cancer registry in our country, changing trends of ovarian tumors has not been determined. Therefore we aimed to establish the current trends and classification of ovarian tumors in our setup according to latest WHO guidelines.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 162 cases of ovarian tumors that underwent surgical resection from January 2009 till December 2014. Specimens were received in histopathology department, Liaquat National hospital and cases were examined by senior histopathologists and classified according to latest WHO guidelines. Various histopathologic parameters including capsular invasion, omental and lymph node meatstasis along with uterine and fallopian tube involvement were determined apart from tumor type and grade.

RESULTS

Mean age at diagnosis was 35.8 years (± 15.5). surface epithelial tumors were most common, 109 cases (67.2%) followed by germ cell tumors, 44 cases (27.1%) and sex cord stromal tumors, 8 cases (4.9%). Serous tumors were most common surface epithelial tumors with 90% benign morphology. On the other hand, mucinous tumors showed a higher percentage of borderline and malignant features (16.7 and 14.6% respectively). Higher incidence of capsular invasion and omental metastasis was noted in endometroid and serous carcinoma compared to mucinous tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

We noted a higher frequency of young age ovarian cancers in our set up. Serous and endometroid carcinomas were found to be associated with adverse prognostic factors like capsular invasion and omental metastasis. Moreover a significantly higher proportion of ovarian tumors constitute mucinous histology including borderline tumors. Whether this represents a changing trend towards biology of these tumors in this part of the world needs to be uncovered by further studies.

Outcome of patients with advanced-stage borderline ovarian tumors after a first peritoneal noninvasive recurrence: impact on further management

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to report the outcome of patients with advanced-stage serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOT) after a first noninvasive recurrence and the impact of conservative treatment in that context and to define the best management for those patients.

STUDY DESIGN

From 1973 to 2006, 168 patients were treated at or referred to our institution for an SBOT with peritoneal implants. Their slides were reviewed by the same expert pathologist. Selection criteria were as follows: advanced stage (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics ≥ II), with at least 1 recurrence (only noninvasive ones) and more than 5 years of follow-up.

RESULTS

Twenty patients met the inclusion criteria. The median duration of follow-up was 12 years (range, 6-23 years). Median age was 26 years (14-61 years). Initial surgical management was conservative for 14 patients and radical for 6. In the study population, 4 patients recurred, all with invasive disease. Time to invasive recurrence was at least 3 years for 3 of 4 patients. None of those 4 patients had a second-look surgery initially or after the first recurrence. Two patients had small-sized residual disease after initial management; only 1 of these 4 patients is currently alive and disease-free. There was no significant difference between conservative and radical treatment of the risk of second recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

This study emphasizes the need for a long follow-up after recurrence of advanced-stage SBOT and the risk of a new invasive recurrence after a first noninvasive peritoneal recurrence. Conservative treatment does not seem as a risk factor and is still justified after a first noninvasive recurrence for young patients who desire to preserve fertility.

Serous and mucinous borderline ovarian tumours: differences in clinical presentation, high-risk histopathological features, and lethal recurrence rates

BACKGROUND

Mucinous and serous borderline ovarian tumours (mBOTs and sBOTs) are controversial diseases.

OBJECTIVES

With this systematic review we aim to evaluate the different high-risk histopathological features and recurrence rates.

SEARCH STRATEGY

The PubMed database was searched using two terms: {serous AND [(borderline) OR (low malignant potential)] AND ovarian AND tumour} and {mucinous AND [(borderline) OR (low malignant potential)] AND ovarian AND tumour}.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Cohorts of either sBOT or mBOT, peer-reviewed, retrospective, or prospective.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Lethal recurrence data for micropapillary patterns (MPs), microinvasion, non-invasive and invasive implants, and intraepithelial carcinoma (IECA). The primary measure of effect was the odds ratio of lethal recurrence reduction.

RESULTS

Data from patients in 42 studies including 4414 sBOTs and 12 studies including 894 mBOTs were pooled. Of these, 53.3% presented early-stage typical sBOTs, 24.4% presented with MPs, 22.3% presented with microinvasion, 34.4% presented with non-invasive implants, and 7.3% presented with invasive implants. The pooled lethal recurrence rates were, respectively: 18.3, 16.8, 10.7, 16.2, and 33.8%. Patients with MPs were more likely to suffer lethal recurrence when compared with high-stage sBOTs (odds ratio, OR 0.501; P = 0.003), whereas the trend in microinvasive sBOTs did not reach statistical significance. Regarding mBOTs, 61.6% presented with early-stage typical mBOTs, 19.6% presented with microinvasion, 34.8% presented with IECA, and six patients presented with non-invasive implants; none presented with invasive implants. The lethal recurrence rates were, respectively: 3.6, 0, 3.7, and 0%.

CONCLUSION

Micropapillary patterns (MPs) showed a higher risk for lethal recurrence when compared with high-stage sBOTs. Regarding mBOTs, IECA and microinvasion do not play a role in the lethal recurrence rate.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Micropapillary pattern confirmed as high-risk in BOT. IECA and microinvasion don't play a role in mucinous BOT.

Data set for reporting of ovary, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal carcinoma: recommendations from the International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR)

A comprehensive pathological report is essential for optimal patient management, cancer staging and prognostication. In many countries, proforma reports are used but these vary in their content. The International Collaboration on Cancer Reporting (ICCR) is an alliance formed by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, the Royal College of Pathologists of the United Kingdom, the College of American Pathologists, the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer and the European Society of Pathology, with the aim of developing an evidence-based reporting data set for each cancer site. This will reduce the global burden of cancer data set development and reduplication of effort by different international institutions that commission, publish and maintain standardised cancer reporting data sets. The resultant standardisation of cancer reporting will benefit not only those countries directly involved in the collaboration but also others not in a position to develop their own data sets. We describe the development of a cancer data set by the ICCR expert panel for the reporting of primary ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal carcinoma and present the 'required' and 'recommended' elements to be included in the report with an explanatory commentary. This data set encompasses the recent International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists staging system for these neoplasms and the updated World Health Organisation Classification of Tumours of the Female Reproductive Organs. The data set also addresses issues about site assignment of the primary tumour in high-grade serous carcinomas and proposes a scoring system for the assessment of tumour response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The widespread implementation of this data set will facilitate consistent and accurate data collection, comparison of epidemiological and pathological parameters between different populations, facilitate research and hopefully will result in improved patient management.

A meta-analysis on the impact of platinum-based adjuvant treatment on the outcome of borderline ovarian tumors with invasive implants

BACKGROUND

Treatment of borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) remains contentious, and there is no consensus regarding therapy for BOTs with invasive implants (BOTi). The benefits of platinum-based adjuvant treatment were evaluated in patients with BOTi at primary diagnosis.

METHODS

The PubMed database was systematically searched for articles using the following terms: ((borderline) OR (low malignant potential) AND (ovarian)) AND ((tumor) OR (cancer)) AND (invasive implants) AND ((follow-up) OR (survival) OR (treatment) OR (chemotherapy) OR (adjuvant treatment) OR (surgery) OR (surgical treatment)).

RESULTS

We identified 27 articles including 3,124 patients, 181 with invasive implants. All studies provided information regarding mortality or recurrence rates. Central pathological examination was performed in 19 studies. Eight studies included more than 75% stage I patients; 7 included only advanced-stage patients, and 14 included only serous BOT. The pooled recurrence estimates for both treatment groups (adjuvant treatment: 44.0%, upfront surgery: 21.3%) did not differ significantly (p = .114). A meta-analysis of the 6 studies providing separate mortality data for both treatment groups favored surgical treatment only, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (.05 < p < .1; odds ratio: 0.33; 95% confidence interval: 0.09-1.71; p = .086). We were unable to pool the results of the included studies because not all studies registered events in both treatment groups. Egger's regression indicated low asymmetry of the studies (p = .39), and no heterogeneity was found (I(2) = 0%).

CONCLUSION

We did not find evidence supporting platinum-based adjuvant therapy for BOT with invasive implants.

Limited efficacy of platinum-based adjuvant treatment on the outcome of borderline ovarian tumors

Adjuvant treatment of borderline ovarian tumors (BOT) remains highly debatable. This article evaluates the benefits of platinum-based adjuvant treatment in patients with BOT. The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for articles using the terms ((Borderline) OR (low malignant potential) AND (ovarian)) AND ((tumor) OR (cancer)) AND ((follow-up) OR (survival) OR (treatment) OR (chemotherapy) OR (adjuvant treatment)). We identified 31 articles including 4965 patients. Together, 592 patients presented non-invasive-, 244 invasive- and 77 unspecified implants. Central pathological examination was performed in 23 studies. Nine studies included more than 90% stage I patients, while 11 included only advanced stage patients. Nineteen studies reported patients undergoing complete cytoreduction, ten reported response rates and eight compared survival outcomes. All studies provided information regarding either mortality or recurrence rates. A meta-analysis of the 13 studies providing separate mortality data for both treatment groups, including 2206 women, favored surgical treatment only (OR=7.44; 95% CI=3.39-16.32; p<0.0005) albeit with moderate heterogeneity of the studies (I(2)=35.0%) but no asymmetry (Egger's test p=0.44). Regarding survival data, 4 studies reported no difference between groups. In the adjuvant setting, 4 reported worse outcome and 1 reported a nonsignificant trend to worse outcome. At present, there is no evidence to support the use of adjuvant treatment in patients with BOT.

Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) consensus review for ovarian tumors of low malignant potential (borderline ovarian tumors)

Since the early 1970s, the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics have classified borderline ovarian tumors as an independent group of ovarian epithelial tumors. A consensus statement of the Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup is reported.

Evaluation of microinvasion and lymph node involvement in ovarian serous borderline/atypical proliferative serous tumors: a morphologic and immunohistochemical analysis of 37 cases

Most of the literature on serous borderline/atypical proliferative serous tumors (SBT/APSTs) shows no effect of microinvasion or lymph node involvement on outcome. This study is a morphologic and immunohistochemical analysis of the cells comprising SBT/APSTs, microinvasion, lymph node involvement, and low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC) in an attempt to explain this unusual behavior. We found that the cells in microinvasion and in lymph nodes were morphologically similar to the cells in SBT/APSTs but differed significantly from the cells in LGSCs. In addition, one particular population of cells, those with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm (eosinophilic cells), in SBT/APSTs, microinvasion, and lymph nodes showed a significant loss of expression of ER, PR, and WT-1 compared with the cuboidal/columnar tumor cells, both in cases of microinvasion (P<0.001 for all 3 markers) and lymph node involvement (P<0.001, P=0.02, P=0.002, respectively). There was a significant decrease in the Ki-67 proliferation index for microinvasion (P=0.004) and a decreasing trend for lymph node involvement (nonsignificant) compared with the columnar/cuboidal cells. In addition, cells in these tumors showed morphologic evidence of apoptosis, which was confirmed by immunostaining with M30, a marker of apoptosis. In contrast, LGSCs lacked eosinophilic cells and showed no loss of expression of ER, PR, and WT-1. They also had a significantly higher Ki-67 proliferation index than their associated SBT/APSTs (P=0.029). On the basis of these findings, we propose that the cells comprising microinvasion do not represent an invasive neoplastic process. Instead, in view of the loss of expression of ER, PR, and WT-1, evidence of apoptosis, and decrease in the Ki-67 proliferation index, we postulate that they are senescent and terminally differentiated with a subset of cells undergoing apoptosis, which could explain their lack of an adverse effect on outcome.

A nationwide study of serous "borderline" ovarian tumors in Denmark 1978-2002: centralized pathology review and overall survival compared with the general population

OBJECTIVE

To describe the study population and estimate overall survival of women with a serous "borderline" ovarian tumor (SBT) in Denmark over 25 years relative to the general population.

METHODS

The Danish Pathology Data Bank and the Danish Cancer Registry were used to identify 1487 women diagnosed with SBTs from 1978 to 2002. The histologic slides were collected from Danish pathology departments and reviewed by expert pathologists and classified as SBT/atypical proliferative serous tumor (APST) or noninvasive low-grade serous carcinoma (LGSC). Associated implants were classified as noninvasive or invasive. Medical records were collected from hospital departments and reviewed. Data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier and relative survival was estimated with follow-up through September 2, 2013.

RESULTS

A cohort of 1042 women with a confirmed SBT diagnosis was identified. Women with stage I had an overall survival similar to the overall survival expected from the general population (p=0.3), whereas women with advanced stage disease had a poorer one (p<0.0001). This was evident both in women with noninvasive (p<0.0001) and invasive implants (p<0.0001). Only among women with advanced stage, overall survival of women with SBT/APST (p<0.0001) and noninvasive LGSC (p<0.0001) was poorer than expected from the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

To date this is the largest nationwide cohort of SBTs where all tumors have been verified by expert pathologists. Only in women with advanced stage SBT, overall survival is poorer than in the general population which applies both to women with noninvasive and invasive implants as well as to women with SBT/APST and noninvasive LGSC.

Prognostic factors for recurrence after conservative treatment in a series of 119 patients with stage I serous borderline tumors of the ovary

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors for recurrence after conservative treatment of a large series of 'apparent' stage I serous borderline ovarian tumors (SBOTs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A review of 119 patients treated conservatively between 2000 and 2009 with follow-up data. All pathological slides were reviewed by the same expert pathologist. Prognostic factors for recurrence were studied (age, histological subtypes and surgical procedure).

RESULTS

Conservative surgical procedures were: unilateral cystectomy (n = 43, 36%); unilateral adnexectomy (UA; n = 50, 42%); bilateral cystectomies (n = 11, 9%) and UA + contralateral cystectomy (n = 15, 13%). Stromal microinvasion and/or a micropapillary pattern was present in 21 (18%) and 13 (11%) patients, respectively. With a median follow-up of 45 months, 38 (32%) patients relapsed (10 also had peritoneal disease in the form of noninvasive implants at the first recurrence). In 2 of these 38 patients, progression-to-invasive disease occurred at the second and third relapse (one patient died to the recurrence). Three prognostic factors for recurrence were identified in the univariate analysis: a young age (< or >30 years old), the type of conservative treatment (adnexectomy versus cystectomy) and tumor bilaterality. In the multivariate analysis, only age remained statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

In this series (the largest reported, to date, on recurrences after the conservative management of stage I SBOT), the risk of relapse was not related to tumor histological subtypes (micropapillary and stromal microinvasion) nor to the use of complete staging surgery. Invasive recurrences were very rare in stage I SBOT, but did occur. A young age, tumor bilaterality and the use of a cystectomy were identified as risk factors for recurrence, suggesting that management of fertility preservation (particularly in very young patients) should be associated with a meticulously conducted follow-up.

Adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy for borderline serous ovarian tumors with invasive implants

BACKGROUND

Most borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) are cured with surgery. However BOTs with invasive implants have a poor prognosis with a mortality of 20-40%. The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy (CT) in this setting remains poorly defined.

METHODS

Retrospective study of serous BOT+invasive implants treated with adjuvant CT.

RESULTS

36 patients were referred with serous BOTs+invasive implants and treated with surgery and platinum-based CT between 06/1982 and 02/2011. 83% were stage III/IV. Tumors demonstrated microinvasion, micropapillary pattern or desmoplastic implants in 53%, 47% and 67% of cases, respectively. 8% had fertility-sparing surgery. Taking into account initial and completion surgeries, R0 was achieved in 84% (27/32) (NA, N=4). The majority (72%) received a combination of platinum+taxane. 11% of patients experienced a G3/G4 toxicity. 13 of 36 (36%) patients relapsed at a median of 27.3 months after diagnosis of invasive implants. Among 12 patients with histologically confirmed relapse, 8 patients progressed with invasive disease in the form of carcinoma or invasive implants. 5 year PFS/OS were 67%/96%. Neither microinvasion, micropapillary pattern, nor desmoplastic implants predicted relapse. In cases with evaluable disease, an objective response to chemotherapy was observed in 4 of 6 patients.

CONCLUSION

This is the largest study of BOT with invasive implants treated with surgery and adjuvant platinum-based CT. Treatment was well tolerated and the invasive relapse rate was 22% (8/36). Although numbers are small, the objective responses suggest a possible role for adjuvant CT in BOTs with invasive implants.

Proposal for Creating a Guideline for Cancer Registration of Microinvasive Tumors of the Breast and Ovary (II)

BACKGROUND

Cancer registration in Korea has a longer than 30-years of history, during which time cancer registration has improved and become well-organized. Cancer registries are fundamental for cancer control and multi-center collaborative research. However, there have been discrepancies in assigning behavior codes. Thus, we intend to propose appropriate behavior codes for the International Classification of Disease Oncology, 3rd edition (ICD-O-3) for microinvasive tumors of the ovary and breast not only to improve the quality of the cancer registry but also to prevent conflicts.

METHODS

As in series I, two pathology study groups and the Cancer Registration Committee of the Korean Society of Pathologists (KSP) participated. To prepare a questionnaire on provisional behavior code, the relevant subjects were discussed in the workshop, and consensus was obtained by convergence of opinion from members of KSP.

RESULTS

Microinvasive tumor of the breast should be designated as a microinvasive carcinoma which was proposed as malignant tumor (/3). Serous borderline tumor with microinvasion of the ovary was proposed as borderline tumor (/1), and mucinous borderline tumor with microinvasion of the ovary as either borderline (/1) or carcinoma (/3) according to the tumor cell nature.

CONCLUSIONS

Some issues should be elucidated with the accumulation of more experience and knowledge. Here, however, we present our second proposal.

Borderline ovarian tumour: pathological diagnostic dilemma and risk factors for invasive or lethal recurrence

By comparison with ovarian carcinomas, borderline ovarian tumours are characterised clinically by superior overall survival, even in women with peritoneal spread. In this Review, we aimed to clarify the histological and clinical factors potentially defining a high-risk group in whom disease is likely to evolve to invasive disease. Invasive peritoneal implants (in serous borderline ovarian tumours) and residual disease after surgery were the two factors clearly identified. Other factors are controversial owing to increased risk of invasive recurrence: micropapillary patterns in serous borderline ovarian tumour, intraepithelial carcinoma in mucinous lesions, stromal microinvasion in serous lesions, and use of cystectomy in mucinous borderline ovarian tumours. The pathologist has a pivotal role in assessment of the borderline nature of ovarian tumours and in identification of high-risk criteria, most of which are histological. But, reproducibility of the histological interpretation of some of these potential criteria--eg, classification of peritoneal implants (particularly in desmoplastic subtype), stromal microinvasion, micropapillary patterns, and intraepithelial carcinoma in mucinous borderline ovarian tumours--remains unclear, and should be investigated.

CT appearance of primary peritoneal serous borderline tumour: a rare epithelial tumour of the peritoneum

Primary peritoneal serous borderline tumour (PPSBT) is a rare epithelial neoplasm which is histologically identical to serous borderline tumour of the ovary. PPSBT is distinguishable from primary peritoneal serous carcinoma because the tumour cells do not invade the underlying tissue and affected patients have a good prognosis. We report the CT findings of surgically proven PPSBT in which multiple peritoneal cysts were seen. Although rare, PPSBT should be considered in the differential diagnosis of primary peritoneal tumours. Since the prognosis of the disease is good, conservation of the uterus and ovaries should be a consideration in young female patients during surgery.

Recommendations of the Fertility Task Force of the European Society of Gynecologic Oncology about the conservative management of ovarian malignant tumors

In young patients with borderline ovarian tumor a conservative treatment approach does not seem to have a significant impact on survival, and the outcome regarding fertility is good in general. It can be considered even if noninvasive peritoneal implants are discovered at the time of the initial surgery. In contrast, in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, conservative surgery should be considered only in adequately staged patients, with a stage IA grade 1 (and probably 2) serous, mucinous or an endometrioid tumor, including a careful follow-up. Such an approach could also probably be discussed in stage IC grade 1 disease.In patients with nonepithelial malignant ovarian tumors, conservative surgery is also feasible, particularly in patients with malignant germ cell tumors because of their high chemosensitivity leading to an excellent prognosis in general.

Fertility-sparing surgery for borderline ovarian tumors: oncologic safety and reproductive outcomes

INTRODUCTION

To evaluate the oncological safety and reproductive outcomes of patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) treated with fertility-sparing surgery.

METHODS

Patients with BOTs who underwent radical or fertility-sparing surgery between 1997 and 2009 were identified from an institutional database. The recurrence rates were compared between the 2 surgery groups. To compare the reproductive outcomes, all patients who underwent fertility-sparing surgery were interviewed by telephone.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-three patients underwent radical surgery, and 155 patients underwent fertility-sparing surgery. After a median interval of 38 months from the initial surgery (range, 10-77 months), 19 patients had a recurrence. The recurrence rate was similar in the radical and fertility-sparing surgery groups (4.9% and 7.7%, respectively; P = 0.280). In the fertility-sparing surgery group, however, the main site of recurrence was the remaining ovary that was successfully salvaged with a second round of fertility-sparing surgery. Of 51 patients who attempted to conceive, 45 patients (88.2%) were successful and resulted in 54 term deliveries.

CONCLUSIONS

Fertility-sparing surgery for BOTs is safe and can result in future pregnancies, suggesting that such surgery should be considered for young patients who desire preservation of fertility.

Expression and histopathological correlation of CCR9 and CCL25 in ovarian cancer

Ovarian carcinoma is the most lethal gynecological malignancy among women and its poor prognosis is mainly due to metastasis. Chemokine receptor CCR9 is primarily expressed by a small subset of immune cells. The interactions between CCL25 and CCR9 have been implicated in leukocyte trafficking to the small bowel, a frequent metastatic site for ovarian cancer cells. We have previously shown that ovarian cancer cells express CCR9 and play an important role in cell migration, invasion and survival in the presence of its natural ligand in vitro. In this study, we have evaluated the expression of CCR9 and CCL25 in ovarian cancer cells and clinical samples. Ovarian cancer tissue microarrays from University of Alabama at Birmingham and AccuMax were stained for CCR9 and CCL25. Aperio ScanScope was used to acquire 80X digital images and expression analysis of CCR9 and CCL25. Flow cytometry and the Image stream system were used to conform the expression of CCR9 and CCL25 in ovarian cancer cells. Our results show significantly higher (p<0.001) expression of CCR9 and CCL25 in serous adenocarcinoma followed by serous papillary cystadenoma, endometrioid adenocarcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, cystadenoma, mucinous boderline adenocarcinoma, clear cell carcinoma, granulosa cell tumor, dysgerminoma, transitional cell carcinoma, Brenner tumor, yolk sac tumor, adenocarcinoma and fibroma cases, compared to non-neoplastic ovarian tissue. Similar to tissue expression, CCR9 was also significantly expressed by the ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR-3 and SK-OV-3) in comparison to normal adult ovarian epithelial cell. We provide the first evidence that CCR9 and its natural ligand CCL25 are highly expressed by ovarian cancer tissue and their expression correlates with histological subtypes. Expression of this chemokine receptor and its ligand CCL25 within primary tumor tissue further suggests a potential role of this chemokine-receptor axis in ovarian cancer progression.

Benign and Low Grade Serous Epithelial Tumors: Recent Developments and Diagnostic Problems

This review focuses on recent advances in the area of low-grade ovarian serous neoplasia with emphasis on key diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, and disease classification based on current understanding of low-grade serous carcinogenesis. Despite considerable controversy surrounding serous tumors of low malignant potential (S-LMP) or borderline tumors, there have been great strides in our understanding of the serous group of borderline and malignant pelvic epithelial neoplasms in the past decade. Most S-LMP have a favorable prognosis, but recurrences and progression to carcinoma occur, sometimes following a protracted clinical course. Pathologic risk factors vary, but the extraovarian implant status is the most important predictor for progressive disease. Progression of S-LMP usually takes the form of low-grade serous carcinoma, although transformation to high-grade carcinoma is occasionally seen. A pelvic S-LMP - low-grade serous carcinoma pathway has been proposed based on global gene expression profiling, shared mutations in KRAS and/or BRAF, and in most cases, the presence of S-LMP in de novo low-grade serous carcinoma. Unlike high-grade serous carcinoma, low-grade serous carcinoma responds poorly to standard platinum-based chemotherapy. Development of more tailored therapy for S-LMP with invasive implants and low-grade serous carcinoma, ideally based on a relative risk model for disease progression, is under active clinical investigation.