Preoperative diagnosis of metastatic ovarian cancer is related to origin of primary tumor

Imaging of ovarian lymphoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to describe the radiological spectrum of appearances of ovarian lymphoma (OL). The manuscript describes the radiological aspects of OL to assist the radiologist in achieving correct orientation of the diagnosis.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective evaluation of imaging studies of 98 cases of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, with extra-nodal localisation (ovaries) in three cases (1 primary, 2 secondary). A literature review was also performed.

RESULTS

Of the three evaluated women, one had a primary ovarian involvement and two had a secondary ovarian involvement. The most common lesion characteristics were a well-defined, solid homogeneous and hypoechoic mass at US. CT depicts OL as a well-defined, non-infiltrating, homogeneous hypodense solid mass, with mild contrast enhancement. On T1-weight MRI, OL appears as a homogeneous mass of low signal intensity, which enhances avidly following intravenous gadolinium.

CONCLUSION

Clinical and serological presentation of OL can be similar to that of primary ovarian cancer. As imaging plays a central role in the diagnosis of OL, the radiologist should be familiar with US, CT and MRI appearances of this condition to correctly orient the diagnosis and so avoid unnecessary adnexectomy.

Ovarian Masses in Patients With Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to investigate the characteristic findings of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to discriminate metastasis from primary ovarian tumors in patients with a history of breast cancer.

METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled consecutive 72 patients with a history of breast cancer who underwent surgical confirmation of an ovarian mass detected on CT or MRI (primary ovarian tumors, n = 66; metastases, n = 6). Two independent readers analyzed the grade of solid portions of the ovarian mass using a 5-point scale on CT or MRI. A predominantly cystic mass was defined as a solid grade of 1 to 2. Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) and the initial stage of breast cancer were also investigated.

RESULTS

The proportions of predominantly cystic masses were significantly different between metastases (0% for both readers) and primary ovarian tumors (59% for reader 1 and 53% for reader 2, P < 0.05). For masses of solid portion grades 3 to 5, CA 125 was significantly higher for malignant epithelial tumors than for the other tumors (P < 0.001), and the initial stage of breast cancer was significantly higher for metastases than for the other tumors (P < 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with a history of breast cancer, predominantly cystic masses detected on CT or MRI seem to be primary ovarian tumors. For the other masses, knowledge of CA 125 and initial breast cancer stage may help in the differential diagnosis.

Ultrasound-Guided Tru-Cut Biopsy in Gynecological and Non-Gynecological Pelvic Masses: A Single-Center Experience

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of adequacy, accuracy, and safety of ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy in managing malignant and benign abdominopelvic masses in a selected population and critically discuss some issues in different situations, which deserve some reflections on those practices. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study involving 42 patients who underwent transvaginal or transabdominal tru-cut biopsy between August 2017 and November 2021. The inclusion criteria were poor health status or primary inoperable advanced tumor, suspicion of recurrence or metastasis to the ovaries or peritoneum in gynecological and non-gynecological pelvic malignancies. Tissue samples were considered adequate if it was possible to determine the origin of the tumor, and immunohistochemistry could be performed. Diagnostic accuracy was assessed considering the agreement between tru-cut biopsy histology and final postoperative histology. Results: It total, 44 biopsies were obtained from 42 patients (2 patients had repeat biopsies). The pathologist considered all pathological samples adequate (adequacy 100%). The final histology was consistent with tru-cut biopsy diagnosis in all but 2 cases (diagnostic accuracy 88.2%). If we consider only the cases that have carried out at least two diagnostic samples, accuracy rose to 94.1%. Pathological examinations from tru-cut samples showed 2 benign lesions (4.8%) and 40 malignant tumors (95.2%), divided into 19 advanced primary inoperable ovarian cancers, 7 primary advanced cervical cancers, 4 recurrent endometrial cancers, 3 recurrent cervical cancers, 3 recurrent ovarian cancers, 1 case of primitive peritoneal malignancy (leiomyosarcoma), and 3 non-gynecological cancers with a strong suspicion of metastases at ultrasound (2 cases of ovarian, colorectal cancer metastasis, and 1 case of pelvic site type B lymphoma metastasis). However, one case of minor complication related to the procedure was reported but not significant. Conclusions: The diagnostic adequacy, accuracy of the tru-cut biopsy, and safety were high. Pathological samples are representative of the disease and suitable for histological and immunohistochemical analysis.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Whole-Body Computed Tomography for Incidental Ovarian Tumors in Patients with Prior Breast Cancer

Whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) serves as the first-line imaging modality for breast cancer follow-up. To investigate the imaging characteristics and diagnostic accuracy of WBCT for incidental ovarian tumors in patients with prior breast cancer, we retrospectively reviewed a consecutive cohort of 13,845 patients with breast cancer, of whom 149 had pathologically-proven ovarian lesions. We excluded patients with ovarian diagnosis before breast cancer, CT scan not including ovary, CT-pathology interval >30 days, and severe CT artifact. Among our 60 breast cancer patients (median age, 46 years) with pathologically proven ovarian lesions, 49 patients had benign diseases, seven had primary ovarian cancer and four had ovarian metastasis from breast cancer. The histologic types of breast cancer with ovarian metastases included invasive ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma and angiosarcoma. Cystic ovarian lesions identified on WBCT during the breast cancer follow-up are more likely to be benign, while solid-cystic lesions are likely to be primary ovarian cancers, and solid lesions may indicate ovarian metastasis. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of WBCT were 98.3%, 100.0%, 98.0%, and 0.99 (malignant vs. benign); 90.0%, 100.0%, 85.7%, and 0.93 (metastasis vs. primary ovarian cancer), respectively. The only false positive solid lesion was a Sertoli–Leydig tumor. In conclusion, WBCT may help diagnose incidental ovarian tumors in patients with prior breast cancers and guide disease management.

Targeted siRNA nanotherapeutics against breast and ovarian metastatic cancer: a comprehensive review of the literature

Metastasis is considered the major cause of unsuccessful cancer therapy. The metastatic development requires tumor cells to leave their initial site, circulate in the blood stream, acclimate to new cellular environments at a remote secondary site and endure there. There are several steps in metastasis, including invasion, intravasation, circulation, extravasation, premetastatic niche formation, micrometastasis and metastatic colonization. siRNA therapeutics are appreciated for their usefulness in treatment of cancer metastasis. However, siRNA therapy as a single therapy may not be a sufficient option for control of metastasis. By combining siRNA with targeting, functional agents or small-molecule drugs have shown potential effects that enhance therapeutic effectiveness. This review addresses multidrug resistance and metastasis in breast and ovarian cancers and highlights drug-delivery strategies using siRNA therapeutics.

Ovarian metastasis from breast cancer mimicking a primary ovarian neoplasm: A case report

Ovarian metastasis (OM) from breast cancer accounts for 3-38% of all ovarian neoplasms and is associated with various characteristic clinical presentations, such as pseudo-Meigs syndrome and Krukenberg tumor. Accurate diagnosis of OM may be challenging, as such lesions are frequently asymptomatic until they reach a large size. Occasionally, metastatic ovarian cancer is detected prior to the diagnosis of the primary tumor. Immunohistochemistry plays an important role in distinguishing primary ovarian tumors from extraovarian tumor metastases and may be helpful for identifying the primary tumor site. We herein report a case of OM from breast cancer masquerading as primary ovarian cancer. However, the correct diagnosis was made based on histopathological and immunohistochemical examinations. The patient had bilateral breast cancer, namely invasive lobular carcinoma of the left breast and ductal carcinoma of the right breast. Due to the presence of bilateral synchronous breast tumors, the possibility that the patient had hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome or other relevant genetic factors was considered. Immunohistochemistry plays a key role in distinguishing between primary ovarian tumors and OM, and it was also important for confirming the metastatic nature of the ovarian lesion and diagnosing the primary tumor in the present study.

Spontaneous subcapsular and perirenal haemorrhage with retroperitoneal haematoma in a patient with ovarian melanoma metastases

A 47-year-old woman was admitted to our clinic for intensive pain in the left flank region. The transvaginal ultrasound showed a left adnexal solid mass with ascites. She had undergone surgical removal of skin melanoma in 2008, but in September 2019, intracardiac metastasis resulting from it had been discovered. CT performed in March 2020 had been negative for other metastases. A full abdomen ultrasound was not performed. During the night, the patient began to show signs and symptoms of hypovolaemic shock. The patient was urgently transferred to the operating room for a video laparoscopy. A vast left retroperitoneal haematoma was diagnosed along with voluminous enlargement of the left ovary. We proceeded with a left adnexectomy and blood transfusion. Subsequent contrast-enhanced CT revealed a left subcapsular, perirenal haematoma and a voluminous retroperitoneal haematoma. Kidney metastasis was also seen. The final histological diagnosis was metastatic amelanotic malignant melanoma of the ovary.

Ultrasound and Clinical Preoperative Characteristics for Discrimination Between Ovarian Metastatic Colorectal Cancer and Primary Ovarian Cancer: A Case-Control Study

The aim of this study was to describe the clinical and sonographic features of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer (mCRC), and to discriminate mCRC from primary ovarian cancer (OC). We conducted a multi-institutional, retrospective study of consecutive patients with ovarian mCRC who had undergone ultrasound examination using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology, with the addition of evaluating signs of necrosis and abdominal staging. A control group included patients with primary OC. Clinical and ultrasound data, subjective assessment (SA), and an assessment of different neoplasias in the adnexa (ADNEX) model were evaluated. Fisher's exact and Student's t-tests, the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), and classification and regression trees (CART) were used to conduct statistical analyses. In total, 162 patients (81 with OC and 81 with ovarian mCRC) were included. None of the patients with OC had undergone chemotherapy for CRC in the past, compared with 40% of patients with ovarian mCRC (p < 0.001). The ovarian mCRC tumors were significantly larger, a necrosis sign was more frequently present, and tumors had an irregular wall or were fixed less frequently; ascites, omental cake, and carcinomatosis were less common in mCRC than in primary OC. In a subgroup of patients with ovarian mCRC who had not undergone treatment for CRC in anamnesis, tumors were larger, and had fewer papillations and more locules compared with primary OC. The highest AUC for the discrimination of ovarian mCRC from primary OC was for CART (0.768), followed by SA (0.735) and ADNEX calculated with CA-125 (0.680). Ovarian mCRC and primary OC can be distinguished based on patient anamnesis, ultrasound pattern recognition, a proposed decision tree model, and an ADNEX model with CA-125 levels.

Synchronous primary cancers of endometrium and ovary vs endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis: an observational study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the ultrasound characteristics of patients with synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary vs those of patients with endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis.

METHODS

This was a single-institution retrospective observational study of patients with a histological diagnosis of endometrial cancer and an ovarian malignant mass, who had undergone preoperative ultrasound examination at our unit. Based on the histological diagnosis, patients were classified into two groups: those with synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary (synchronous group) and patients with endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis (metastasis group). We compared the ultrasound features of ovarian malignant masses and of endometrial cancers between the two groups. Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, χ² test or Fisher's exact test were used for comparisons of variables between the two histological groups, as appropriate.

RESULTS

We identified 131 patients, of whom 51 had synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary (synchronous group) and 80 had endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis (metastasis group). On ultrasound examination, ovarian masses in the synchronous group were more often multilocular-solid and less often bilateral than those in the metastasis group. With respect to the ultrasound features of the endometrial lesions, the median largest diameter was 29 (range, 11-118) mm in the synchronous group in comparison with 51.5 (range, 6-150) mm in the metastasis group (P < 0.0001). Endometrial lesions in the synchronous group presented more often with no myometrial infiltration and less often with a multiple-vessel pattern on color Doppler compared with the endometrial lesions in the metastasis group.

CONCLUSIONS

Synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary have significantly different sonomorphological patterns compared with endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis. Ovarian masses in women with synchronous primary cancers of the endometrium and ovary appeared as unilateral multilocular-solid or solid masses, whereas ovarian masses in women with endometrial cancer with ovarian metastasis were mostly bilateral solid masses. The different sonomorphology of these two cancers may facilitate their preoperative identification, helping the surgeon to determine optimum management for the patient. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pancreaticobiliary metastasis presenting as primary mucinous ovarian neoplasm: A systematic literature review

True primary mucinous ovarian carcinomas are rarer than originally thought and their clinical behavior and treatment response are different than more common epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Secondary ovarian neoplasms often mimic the clinical and histological features of mucinous ovarian cancer making their diagnosis, and therefore treatment, more difficult. Misdiagnosis can have a significant impact on both treatment and prognosis. The majority of these secondary ovarian neoplasms arise from the gastrointestinal tract, with mucinous histology often of pancreaticobiliary origin. Our study objective was to review current evidence distinguishing pancreaticobiliary ovarian metastasis from primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma. We utilized a PubMed search using MeSH terms and selected articles were reviewed, synthesized and summarized. Thirty-nine articles were included in the review. The clinical, gross, histological and immunohistochemical features distinguishing primary mucinous ovarian carcinomas from pancreaticobiliary ovarian metastasis were identified. Compared to primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma, metastatic pancreaticobiliary tumors are more often bilateral, <10 cm, have irregular external surface and surface implants, display an infiltrative pattern of invasion and stain for MUC1 and CK17. Primary ovarian mucinous tumors rarely (<3%) have signet ring cells or involvement of the hilum. Metastatic mucinous tumors mimic their primary mucinous ovarian counterparts and their clinical and histopathological features overlap in many ways. However, these metastatic tumors have features that can help differentiate them from primary mucinous carcinoma. With a high index of suspicion and knowledge of the reviewed features, distinguishing these tumors will continue to become easier.

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Primary ovarian and metastatic pancreaticobiliary tumors present similarly.

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Histologic findings can differentiate primary from metastatic ovarian tumors.

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Bilaterality, size, surface appearance can differentiate primary versus metastatic.

Role of CA125/CEA ratio and ultrasound parameters in identifying metastases to the ovaries in patients with multilocular and multilocular-solid ovarian masses

OBJECTIVES

To investigate ultrasound features and the best cut-off value of the cancer antigen 125/carcinoembryonic antigen (CA125/CEA) ratio to discriminate ovarian metastases from benign and primary malignant ovarian neoplasms in two selected groups of morphological ovarian masses, namely multilocular masses with five or more locules and multilocular-solid masses.

METHODS

Patients with multilocular (five or more locules) or multilocular-solid ovarian masses, operated on within 3 months of ultrasound examination, and with tumor markers (CEA and CA125) available at diagnosis, were identified retrospectively from three ultrasound centers. The masses were described using the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology. Ultrasound and clinical characteristics were compared between those with an ovarian neoplasm (including benign and primary malignant neoplasms) and those with an ovarian metastasis. Receiver-operating characteristics curve (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the ability of CA125, CEA and CA125/CEA to differentiate between ovarian neoplasms and ovarian metastases, and their predictive performance was assessed.

RESULTS

In total, 350 (88.4%) patients with an ovarian neoplasm (including 99 benign, 43 borderline and 197 primary epithelial ovarian carcinomas, seven malignant rare tumors and four other types of invasive ovarian tumor) and 46 (11.6%) patients with an ovarian metastasis were analyzed. On ultrasound examination, ovarian neoplasms were smaller than ovarian metastases (median largest diameter, 97 (range, 20-387) mm vs 146 (range, 43-259) mm, respectively; P < 0.0001) and presented with a lower number of cysts with > 10 locules (18.9% vs 54.3%; P < 0.0001). ROC curve analysis showed that the best cut-off value of CEA for distinguishing between ovarian neoplasms and ovarian metastases was 2.33 ng/mL. The predictive performance of this CEA cut-off value was: area under the curve (AUC), 0.791 (95% CI, 0.711-0.870); accuracy, 73.7%; sensitivity, 73.1%; specificity, 78.3%; positive predictive value (PPV), 96.2%; and negative predictive value (NPV), 27.7%. The best cut-off value of CA125/CEA for distinguishing between ovarian neoplasms and ovarian metastases was 11.92. The predictive performance of this CA125/CEA cut-off value was: AUC, 0.758 (95% CI, 0.683-0.833); accuracy, 79.8%; sensitivity, 82.3%; specificity, 60.9%; PPV, 94.1%; and NPV, 31.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

CA125/CEA ratio and CEA alone did not show any significant difference in their ability to distinguish between ovarian neoplasms (including benign and malignant) and ovarian metastases in masses with multilocular and those with multilocular-solid morphology. Therefore, in this morphological subgroup of ovarian masses, CEA alone is sufficient to differentiate between ovarian neoplasms and ovarian metastases. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Challenge of Evaluating Adnexal Masses in Patients With Breast Cancer

This narrative literature review addresses the problem of an adnexal mass discovered during the course of breast cancer (BC) care, which may represent a benign condition, a metastatic process, or a primary ovarian cancer (OC), clinical scenarios associated with distinct physiopathology and prognosis. Furthermore, the coexistence of BC and OC in the same patient may be owing to a hereditary disorder, deserving specific management strategies and counseling. The initial detection and evaluation of an adnexal mass in a patient with BC requires a high index of suspicion, and the initial workup should include a thorough medical history and physical examination, measurement of tumor markers, complete blood count, and imaging tests. Transvaginal ultrasonography remains the standard tool, and findings suggestive of malignancy include bilateral tumors, thick septations, predominance of a solid component, Doppler flow to the solid component, and ascites. From the pathology point of view, features that are suggestive of metastatic disease include bilaterality, mild ovarian enlargement, vascular emboli, no omental deposits, and the absence of transition from benign to malignant epithelium. Although there is a considerable overlap in OC and BC immunohistochemical profiles, BC usually stain positive for GCDFP-15 and negative for vimentine, PAX8, and WT1, and OC often stain positive for CK7, PAX8, WT1, and to mesothelin. Genetic counselling should always be indicated in this clinical scenario. In conclusion, diagnostic spectrum of an ovarian mass in a patient with BC is broad, and a systematic multi-professional strategy is necessary to conduct these challenging cases.

Subjective ultrasound assessment, the ADNEX model and ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy to differentiate disseminated primary ovarian cancer from metastatic non-ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVES

To compare subjective ultrasound assessment and the ADNEX model with ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsy to differentiate disseminated primary ovarian cancer from metastatic non-ovarian cancer.

METHODS

This was a prospective study including 143 consecutive women with disseminated malignancy of unknown primary origin, with a pelvic tumor/carcinosis. Women underwent either transvaginal or transrectal ultrasound as well as transabdominal ultrasound examination followed by tru-cut biopsy. The ultrasound examiner assessed tumor morphology, spread in the pelvis and abdomen, and predicted tumor origin as primary ovarian or metastatic using both subjective assessment and the ADNEX model. Histology from tru-cut biopsy served as the gold standard for assessment of diagnostic accuracy. Biopsy adequacy and the complication rate were assessed.

RESULTS

Tru-cut biopsy was performed transvaginally in 131/143 (92%) women. Two women needed inpatient care (one had abdominal wall hematoma, and one infection). Biopsy resulted in a conclusive diagnosis in 126/143 (88%) women, amongst whom cytoreductive surgery was performed in 30/126 confirming the diagnosis in all cases. Non-ovarian metastatic cancer was found in 37/126 (29%) women and primary ovarian cancer in 89/126 (71%) women. Subjective ultrasound evaluation had a sensitivity of 82% (73/89) and a specificity of 70% (26/37) in predicting primary ovarian cancer. The ADNEX model had an area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve of 0.891 (95% CI, 0.794-0.946) (in women with an ovarian lesion, n = 104). Tumor origin was associated with age, CA 125, previous neoplasia, presence of omental cake and tumor mobility.

CONCLUSIONS

Subjective ultrasound assessment and the ADNEX model can both be used to predict whether a pelvic tumor is metastatic and of non-ovarian origin, indicating the need for tru-cut biopsy, which is associated with very few complications and will provide a conclusive diagnosis in nine out of 10 women. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG.

Preoperative clinical and radiological features of metastatic ovarian tumors

PURPOSE

To investigate the clinical characteristics and pre-operative imaging features of non-genital metastatic ovarian tumors.

METHODS

A retrospective case series study that compared 18 patients with histologically confirmed non-genital metastatic ovarian tumors (the study group) with 25 patients who were diagnosed with a primary ovarian cancer (control group).

RESULTS

The most common primary disease was breast cancer (n = 10; 55 %), followed by colon cancer, gastric cancer, lymphoma, and unknown primary malignancy. The diagnosis of the previous primary neoplasm preceded the ovarian tumor diagnosis by 1-20 years (mean 7 years). No differences were found in the presenting signs and symptoms between the two groups. Statistically significant differences were noted between the two groups in the composition of the adnexal mass on sonography (p < 0.0005) and the CA-125 levels (p = 0.007). The presence of a complex adnexal mass with papillary projections and CA-125 >170 U/ml predicted primary ovarian cancer in 95.7 % of patients. Pre-operative CT scan revealed a greater tendency toward omental involvement and ascites in the control group (p = 0.058). The median risk of malignancy index (RMI) 2 score was significantly higher in the control group compared to the study group (8,000 and 1,120 respectively, p = 0.001). Using a RMI 2 cut-off level of 3,800 for diagnosing primary ovarian cancer versus metastatic ovarian cancer, the sensitivity was 70 %, with a positive predictive value of 87.5 %.

CONCLUSION

Pre-operative sonography findings, CA-125 levels and RMI 2 scores can be highly accurate in differentiating between primary and metastatic ovarian tumors.