Prognosis in primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma: focusing on the five pathological findings indicating metastatic mucinous carcinoma to the ovary

Clinical implications of histologic subtypes on survival outcomes in primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

In 2014, the World Health Organization introduced a new histologic classification by dividing primary mucinous ovarian carcinoma (PMOC) into two: expansile (ES) or infiltrative subtypes (IS). This study investigated the clinical implications of these histological subtypes on survival outcomes.

METHODS

Data from 131 patients with PMOC who underwent primary surgery between 2003 and 2021 were analyzed. The patients baseline characteristics, surgical and pathological information were collected. Survival outcomes were calculated, while factors affecting them were also investigated.

RESULTS

During 55.9 months of median follow-up, 27 (20.6%) patients experienced recurrence and 20 (15.3%) died. Among 131 patients, 113 patients were classified into 87 (77%) ES and 26 (23%) IS after a slide review. Advanced stage, lymph node involvement, and residual tumors after surgery were more common in the IS, showing poorer prognosis. In multivariate analyses, advanced stage and residual tumors after surgery were associated with worse survival, while the IS showed no statistical significance. In subgroup analysis for stage I disease, survival did not vary between subtypes. Nevertheless, patients in the IS group who underwent fertility-sparing surgeries demonstrated a 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 83.3%, significantly lower than patients without fertility preservation, irrespective of histologic subtypes (5-year PFS rate: 97.9%; P = 0.002 for the ES, 5-year PFS rate: 100%; P = 0.001 for the IS).

CONCLUSIONS

The IS of PMOC had poorer survival outcomes and a higher proportion of advanced-stage tumors. Although its independent prognostic significance remains uncertain, adjuvant chemotherapy should be considered for patients with fertility preservation in the IS group.

Mucins and mucinous ovarian carcinoma: Development, differential diagnosis, and treatment

Mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) is a rare histological type of epithelial ovarian cancer. It has poor response to conventional platinum-based chemotherapy regimens and PARPi-based maintenance treatment, resulting in short survival and poor prognosis in advanced-disease patients. MOC is characterized by mucus that is mainly composed of mucin in the cystic cavity. Our review discusses in detail the role of mucins in MOC. Mucins are correlated with MOC development. Furthermore, they are valuable in the differential diagnosis of primary and secondary ovarian mucinous tumors. Some types of mucins have been studied in the context of chemoresistance and targeted therapy for ovarian cancer. This review may provide a new direction for the diagnosis and treatment of advanced MOC.

Update on Prognostic and Predictive Markers in Mucinous Ovarian Cancer

This review includes state-of-the-art prognostic and predictive factors of mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC), a rare tumor. Clinical, pathological, and molecular features and treatment options according to prognosis are comprehensively discussed. Different clinical implications of MOC are described according to the The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage: early MOC (stage I-II) and advanced MOC (stage III-IV). Early MOC is characterized by a good prognosis. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment. Fertility-sparing surgery could be performed in patients who wish to become pregnant and that present low recurrence risk of disease. Adjuvant chemotherapy is not recommended, except in patients with high-risk clinical and pathological features. Regarding the histological features, an infiltrative growth pattern is the major prognostic factor of MOC. Furthermore, novel molecular biomarkers are emerging for tailored management of early-stage MOC. In contrast, advanced MOC is characterized by poor survival. Radical surgery is the cornerstone of treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended, although the efficacy is limited by the intrinsic chemoresistance of these tumors. Several molecular hallmarks of advanced MOC have been described in recent years (e.g., HER2 amplification, distinct methylation profiles, peculiar immunological microenvironment), but target therapy for these rare tumors is not available yet.