Is routine gastrointestinal endoscopy required in every woman with mucinous ovarian cancer? An analysis of survival rates and metastatic tumours in a cancer centre

INTRODUCTION

Mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) represents a rare entity of ovarian malignant neoplasms. The true incidence could be as low as 3% of all ovarian cancers. The aim of this study is to compare and understand the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with mucinous ovarian cancer, report on the survival rates and evaluate the role of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy as part of the peri-operative investigations and the impact it has on the survival rates.

METHODOLOGY

This is a retrospective data collection on patients with MOC operated in Nottingham gynaecological oncology centre over a 10-year period. Data were analysed using SPSS software.

RESULTS

43 cases were included in the final analysis. The median maximal tumour diameter was 180 mm. 32 (74.5 %) and 11 (25.5 %) women presented with unilateral and bilateral tumours respectively. 30 patients (69.7 %) presented with stage 1 disease, 1 (2.3 %) presented with stage 2 disease, 7 women (16.4 %) had stage 3 disease and 1 woman (11.6 %) had stage 4 disease. 41 women had staging surgical procedures and 2 women had limited surgery due to poor performance status. After final histology, 5 cases found to have metastatic disease to the ovary rather than primary MOC. 14 women had GI endoscopy as part of their investigation. The total estimated cost of the endoscopies that have been performed is £5635. Primary GI cancer was diagnosed in 1 case during the endoscopy (1 case of gastric cancer). The 5-year overall survival of the women included in this study is 62.8 %. The 5-year overall survival of the women in the endoscopy and non-endoscopy groups was 60 % and 64.3 % respectively (p-value: 0.767).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study show that the survival rates of patients treated for mucinous ovarian cancer in our centre are similar to other published studies. Our findings do not support the routine use of GI endoscopy in the peri-operative investigations of every patient with MOC due to the non-statistically significant difference in the overall survival.

Durable remission in a patient with ERBB2-amplified recurrent mucinous ovarian carcinoma treated with Trastuzumab-Carboplatin-Paclitaxel

Patients with advanced stage or recurrent mucinous ovarian carcinoma exhibit poor response to standard platinum- and taxane-based chemotherapy and poor prognosis. We report a 29-year-old patient with recurrent ERBB2-amplified mucinous ovarian carcinoma (with expansile growth pattern at initial diagnosis and previously treated with adjuvant capecitabine/oxaliplatin) who underwent optimal secondary cytoreduction followed by 6 cycles of carboplatin/paclitaxel/trastuzumab and 1-year maintenance trastuzumab. This patient remains without radiologic or biochemical evidence of disease for more than 3 years after secondary cytoreduction. This case supports routine assessment of HER2 status in patients with advanced or recurrent mucinous ovarian carcinoma and highlights the potential of HER2-targeted therapy with trastuzumab in combination with standard carboplatin and paclitaxel in this disease. This case also raises the possibility that expansile mucinous ovarian carcinomas with ERBB2 amplification and p53 mutant immunohistochemical staining pattern (as this patient had) may be associated with a more aggressive behavior and higher risk of relapse.

Development and validation of a nomogram to predict cancer-specific survival of mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer after cytoreductive surgery

BACKGROUND

Mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (mEOC) is a relatively uncommon subtype of ovarian cancer with special prognostic features, but there is insufficient research in this area. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of mEOC based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database and externally validate it in National Union of Real World Gynecological Oncology Research and Patient Management (NUWA) platform from China.

METHODS

Patients screened from SEER database were allocated into training and internal validation cohort in a ratio of 7: 3, with those from NUWA platform as an external validation cohort. Significant factors selected by Cox proportional hazard regression were applied to establish a nomogram for 3-year and 5-year CSS. The performance of nomogram was assessed by concordance index, calibration curves and Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves.

RESULTS

The training cohort (n = 572) and internal validation cohort (n = 246) were filtered out from SEER database. The external validation cohort contained 186 patients. Baseline age, tumor stage, histopathological grade, lymph node metastasis and residual disease after primary surgery were significant risk factors (p < 0.05) and were included to develop the nomogram. The C-index of nomogram in training, internal validation and external validation cohort were 0.869 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.838-0.900), 0.839 (95% CI, 0.787-0.891) and 0.800 (95% CI, 0.738-0.862), respectively. The calibration curves of 3-year and 5-year CSS in each cohort showed favorable agreement between prediction and observation. K-M curves of different risk groups displayed great discrimination.

CONCLUSION

The discrimination and goodness of fit of the nomogram indicated its satisfactory predictive value for the CSS of mEOC in SEER database and external validation in China, which implies its potential application in different populations.

Entrectinib use in a platinum-refractory mucinous ovarian cancer harboring a NTRK3 gene fusion

Ovarian cancer is difficult to treat, and the mucinous epithelial subtype has a particularly poor response to traditional chemotherapy regimens. Entrectinib is a tumor-agnostic tyrosine kinase inhibitor with limited data regarding its use in ovarian cancers, though it demonstrates significant tumor response and patient tolerability in other settings. Here we outline what we believe to be the first case in which Entrectinib was successfully utilized to treat a patient with mucinous ovarian cancer. A 51-year-old woman with stage IVB mucinous ovarian cancer possessing a KANK1-NTRK3 gene fusion experienced tumor progression and clinical deterioration with conventional chemotherapeutics. Upon initiation of Entrectinib treatment she experienced rapid clinical improvement, with significant partial response and sustained decrease in tumor markers.

Safety of fertility sparing management in invasive mucinous ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety of fertility-sparing surgery in invasive mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOC).

METHODS

Retrospective review was performed of MOCs diagnosed between 1999 and 2019 at two tertiary cancer centers. Pathology was reviewed to rule out metastasis from gastrointestinal tract. The demographics and survival outcomes were compared between women who underwent fertility-sparing surgery and those who underwent radical surgery (at least hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy +/- staging). Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to evaluate the effect of fertility sparing surgery on survival.

RESULTS

Of 134 with stage I disease, 42 (31%) underwent fertility-sparing surgery with unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Compared to women who underwent radical surgery, these women were younger with low grade, early-stage disease. Two patients (5%) in the fertility-sparing cohort experienced a recurrence and 1 of these 2 patients died due to disease progression. There was no difference in either OS or RFS between those that underwent fertility-sparing surgery and radical surgery. In a multivariable analysis adjusting for age and use of adjuvant chemotherapy, fertility-sparing surgery was not significantly associated with OS (HR 0.18; 95% CI 0.01-2.78) or RFS (HR 0.19; 95% CI 0.03-1.45). There were 4 patients (9%) with documented full-term delivery with median interval to conception of 11 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Fertility-sparing surgery in stage I MOC is not associated with worse outcomes compared to radical surgery and is reasonable to offer to those with early stage disease who wish to retain fertility.

Molecular characteristics and clinical behaviour of epithelial ovarian cancers

Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is an umbrella term for multiple distinct diseases (histotypes), each with their own developmental origins, clinical behaviour and molecular profile. Accordingly, OC management is progressing away from a one-size-fits all approach, toward more molecularly-driven, histotype-specific management strategies. Our knowledge of driver events in high grade serous OC, the most common histotype, has led to major advances in treatments, including PARP inhibitor use. However, these agents are not suitable for all patients, most notably for many of those with rare OC histotypes. Identification of additional targeted therapeutic strategies will require a detailed understanding of the molecular landscape in each OC histotype. Until recently, tumour profiling studies in rare histotypes were sparse; however, significant advances have been made over the last decade. In particular, reports of genomic characterisation in endometrioid, clear cell, mucinous and low grade serous OC have significantly expanded our understanding of mutational events in these tumour types. Nonetheless, substantial knowledge gaps remain. This review summarises our current understanding of each histotype, highlighting recent advances in these unique diseases and outlining immediate research priorities for accelerating progress toward improving patient outcomes.

Offspring sex and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer: a multinational pooled analysis of 12 case-control studies

While childbearing protects against risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), few studies have explored the impact on maternal EOC risk of sex of offspring, which may affect the maternal environment during pregnancy. We performed a pooled analysis among parous participants from 12 case-controls studies comprising 6872 EOC patients and 9101 controls. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariable logistic regression for case-control associations and polytomous logistic regression for histotype-specific associations, all adjusted for potential confounders. In general, no associations were found between offspring sex and EOC risk. However, compared to bearing only female offspring, bearing one or more male offspring was associated with increased risk of mucinous EOC (OR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.01-2.07), which appeared to be limited to women reporting menarche before age 13 compared to later menarche (OR = 1.71 vs 0.99; P-interaction = 0.02). Bearing increasing numbers of male offspring was associated with greater risks of mucinous tumors (OR = 1.31, 1.84, 2.31, for 1, 2 and 3 or more male offspring, respectively; trend-p = 0.005). Stratifying by hormonally-associated conditions suggested that compared to bearing all female offspring, bearing a male offspring was associated with lower risk of endometrioid cancer among women with a history of adult acne, hirsutism, or polycystic ovary syndrome (OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.28-0.83) but with higher risk among women without any of those conditions (OR = 1.64 95% CI = 1.14-2.34; P-interaction = 0.003). Offspring sex influences the childbearing-EOC risk relationship for specific histotypes and conditions. These findings support the differing etiologic origins of EOC histotypes and highlight the importance of EOC histotype-specific epidemiologic studies. These findings also suggest the need to better understand how pregnancy affects EOC risk.

Long term survival outcomes of stage I mucinous ovarian cancer - A clinical calculator predictive of chemotherapy benefit

OBJECTIVES

To determine the long-term potential benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in subgroups of high-risk stage I mucinous ovarian cancer patients using a predictive scoring algorithm.

METHODS

Data were collected from the National Cancer Database from 2004 to 2014. Based on demographic and surgical characteristics, a novel 10-year survival prognostic scoring system was developed using Cox regression.

RESULTS

There were 2041 eligible patients with stage I mucinous ovarian cancer including 1362 (67%) with stage IA/IB disease, 598 (29%) with stage IC disease, and 81 (4%) with stage I disease not otherwise specified. Median age was 52 with a range of 13-90 years old. 737 (36%) patients were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was more common in patients with stage IC relative to stage IA/IB disease (69% vs. 21%, P < 0.001) or with poorly-differentiated relative to well-differentiated tumors (69% vs. 23%, P < 0.001). Unadjusted 10-year survival was 81% relative to 79% for patients treated with vs. without chemotherapy, respectively (P = 0.46). Patients were predicted to exhibit a low- or a high-risk of death using a multivariate Cox regression model with age, stage, grade, lymphovascular space invasion and ascites. Risk of death without vs. with adjuvant chemotherapy was similar in low-risk patients (88% vs. 84%; HR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.56-1.15, P = 0.23) and worse in high-risk patients (51% vs. 74%; HR = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.05-2.38, P = 0.03) with stage I mucinous ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

A predictive scoring algorithm may provide prognostic information on long-term survival and identify high-risk stage I mucinous ovarian cancer patients who might achieve a survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Immunohistochemical validation of COL3A1, GPR158 and PITHD1 as prognostic biomarkers in early-stage ovarian carcinomas

Background

Ovarian cancer is the main cause of gynecological cancer-associated death. However, 5-year survival rates differ dramatically between the five main ovarian carcinoma histotypes. Therefore, we need to have a better understanding of the mechanisms that promote histotype-specific ovarian carcinogenesis and identify novel prognostic biomarkers.

Methods

Here, we evaluated the prognostic role of 29 genes for early-stage (I and II) ovarian carcinomas (n = 206) using immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

We provide evidence of aberrant protein expression patterns for Collagen type III alpha 1 chain (COL3A1), G protein-coupled receptor 158 (GPR158) and PITH domain containing 1 (PITHD1). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that COL3A1 expression was associated with shorter overall survival in the four major histotypes of epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients (P value = 0.026, HR = 2.99 (95% CI 1.089–8.19)). Furthermore, GPR158 and PITHD1 were shown to be histotype-specific prognostic biomarkers, with elevated GPR158 expression patterns in mucinous ovarian carcinoma patients with unfavorable overall survival (P value = 0.00043, HR = 6.13 (95% CI 1.98–18.98)), and an association with lower PITHD1 protein expression and unfavorable overall and disease-specific survival in clear-cell ovarian carcinoma patients (P value = 0.012, HR = 0.22 (95% CI 0.058–0.80); P value = 0.003, HR = 0.17 (95% CI 0.043–0.64)).

Conclusions

The novel biomarkers identified here may improve prognostication at the time of diagnosis and may assist in the development of future individualized therapeutic strategies for ovarian carcinoma patients.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-6084-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effectiveness of postoperative chemotherapy for stage IC mucinous ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between postoperative chemotherapy and survival of women with stage IC mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC).

METHODS

Comprehensive nationwide tumor registry data from the Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities in the United States from 2004 to 2014 were retrospectively examined. Women with stage IC MOC who underwent primary surgery followed by postoperative chemotherapy were compared to those who did not receive. Clinico-pathological factors associated with chemotherapy use, and overall survival associated with chemotherapy use were examined with multivariable models and propensity score inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). External validation was performed by examining the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from 1988 to 2014.

RESULTS

There were 532 (58.5%) women who received postoperative chemotherapy and 377 (41.5%) women who did not. On multivariable analysis, those with moderately-/poorly-differentiated tumors, large tumor size, and who underwent lymphadenectomy were more likely to receive postoperative chemotherapy whereas young women and those with capsule rupture alone were less likely to receive postoperative chemotherapy (all, P < 0.05). After IPTW, there was no difference in overall survival among women who received postoperative chemotherapy versus those who did not on multivariable analysis (adjusted 4-year rates: 85.8% versus 86.3%, adjusted-hazard ratio [HR] 0.88, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.60-1.31). Similarly, there was no benefit with chemotherapy regardless of patient age, tumor differentiation, performance of nodal dissection, and substage groups. Among 912 cases in the validation cohort (postoperative chemotherapy use, n = 520 [57.0%]), postoperative chemotherapy use was not associated with cause-specific survival (adjusted-HR 1.296, 95% CI 0.846-1.984, P = 0.233) or overall survival (adjusted-HR 1.131, 95% CI 0.849-1.508, P = 0.400).

CONCLUSION

Postoperative chemotherapy was received by fewer than 60% of women with stage IC MOC, and postoperative chemotherapy was not associated with improved survival.

An international, phase III randomized trial in patients with mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer (mEOC/GOG 0241) with long-term follow-up: and experience of conducting a clinical trial in a rare gynecological tumor

Objectives

We evaluated four different treatment regimens for advanced-stage mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter randomized factorial trial (UK and US). Patients were diagnosed with primary mEOC: FIGO stage II–IV or recurrence after stage I disease. Treatment arms were paclitaxel-carboplatin, oxaliplatin-capecitabine, paclitaxel-carboplatin-bevacizumab, or oxaliplatin-capecitabine-bevacizumab. Chemotherapy was given 3-weekly for 6 cycles, and bevacizumab (3-weekly) was continued as maintenance (for 12 cycles). Endpoints included overall-survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), toxicity and quality of life (QoL).

Results

The trial stopped after 50 patients were recruited due to slow accrual. Median follow-up was 59 months. OS hazard ratios (HR) for the two main comparisons were: 0.78 (p = 0.48) for Oxal-Cape vs. Pac-Carbo (each with/without bevacizumab), and 1.04 (p = 0.92) for bevacizumab vs. no bevacizumab. Corresponding PFS HRs were: 0.84 and 0.80. Retrospective central pathology review revealed only 45% (18/40) cases with available material had confirmed primary mEOC. Among these, OS HR for Oxal-Cape vs. Pac-Carbo was 0.36 (p = 0.14); PFS HR = 0.62 (p = 0.40). Grade 3–4 toxicity was seen in 61% Pac-Carbo, 61% Oxal-Cape, 54% Pac-Carbo-Bev, and 85% Oxal-Cape-Bev. QoL was similar between the four arms.

Conclusion

mEOC/GOG0241 represents an example of a randomized rare tumor trial. Logistical challenges led to early termination, including difficulties in local histopathological diagnosis and accessing drugs outside their labelled indication. There was misalignment between central funders who support clinical trials in rare cancers and the deprioritisation of such work by those managing and funding research at a local level. Rare cancer trials should include centralised pathology review before treatment.

Clinical trial registry number: ISRCTN83438782.

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mEOC/GOG-0241 is one of the first international rare tumor trials.

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Oxaliplatin/capecitabine might be worth further study. Long-term follow-up is feasible in rare tumors.

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Challenges were lack of local resources and funding for experimental licenced therapies.

Mucinous borderline ovarian tumor versus invasive well-differentiated mucinous ovarian cancer: Difference in characteristics and outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Mucinous borderline ovarian tumor (mucinous-BOT) and invasive well-differentiated mucinous ovarian cancer (mucinous-OC) are often histopathologically misclassified. The objective of this study was to examine differences in clinico-pathological characteristics and outcomes of these two entities.

METHODS

This is a retrospective population-based study examining the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program from 1988 to 2000. Stage I mucinous-BOTs and stage I well-differentiated mucinous-OC were compared for patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and outcomes. Propensity score matching and multivariable analysis were used to assess cause-specific survival (CSS).

RESULTS

A total of 2130 mucinous-BOT and 581 mucinous-OC cases were examined for analysis. On multivariable analysis, women with mucinous-OC were more likely to be older, Eastern U.S. residents, and have undergone hysterectomy or lymphadenectomy compared to those with mucinous-BOT, and the number of women diagnosed with mucinous-OC decreased over time (all, P < 0.05). Mucinous-OCs were more likely to be stage T1c and have a smaller tumor size as compared to mucinous-BOT (both, adjusted-P < 0.05). After propensity score matching, women with mucinous-OC had significantly poorer CSS compared to those with mucinous-BOT on multivariable analysis (10-year rates: 92.7% versus 97.5%, adjusted-hazard ratio [HR] 2.03, P = 0.007). Similar results were observed among subgroups for reproductive age, stage T1a disease, large tumor, and unstaged cases (all, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Stage I mucinous-BOT and stage I invasive well-differentiated mucinous-OC have distinct differences in clinical characteristics and patient survival. The inability to conduct centralized pathology review in our study limits our conclusions given the recognized issue of misclassification of mucinous-BOT and mucinous-OC, but further highlights the importance of making the proper histopathological diagnosis for invasive cancer when the ovarian tumor is of mucinous histology.

Massively parallel sequencing analysis of mucinous ovarian carcinomas: genomic profiling and differential diagnoses

OBJECTIVE

Mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) is a rare type of epithelial ovarian cancer resistant to standard chemotherapy regimens. We sought to characterize the repertoire of somatic mutations in MOCs and to define the contribution of massively parallel sequencing to the classification of tumors diagnosed as primary MOCs.

METHODS

Following gynecologic pathology and chart review, DNA samples obtained from primary MOCs and matched normal tissues/blood were subjected to whole-exome (n = 9) or massively parallel sequencing targeting 341 cancer genes (n = 15). Immunohistochemical analysis of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, PTEN, ARID1A/BAF250a, and the DNA mismatch (MMR) proteins MSH6 and PMS2 was performed for all cases. Mutational frequencies of MOCs were compared to those of high-grade serous ovarian cancers (HGSOCs) and mucinous tumors from other sites.

RESULTS

MOCs were heterogeneous at the genetic level, frequently harboring TP53 (75%) mutations, KRAS (71%) mutations and/or CDKN2A/B homozygous deletions/mutations (33%). Although established criteria for diagnosis were employed, four cases harbored mutational and immunohistochemical profiles similar to those of endometrioid carcinomas, and one case for colorectal or endometrioid carcinoma. Significant differences in the frequencies of KRAS, TP53, CDKN2A, FBXW7, PIK3CA and/or APC mutations between the confirmed primary MOCs (n = 19) and HGSOCs, mucinous gastric and/or mucinous colorectal carcinomas were found, whereas no differences in the 341 genes studied between MOCs and mucinous pancreatic carcinomas were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that the assessment of mutations affecting TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA, ARID1A and POLE, and DNA MMR protein expression may be used to further aid the diagnosis and treatment decision-making of primary MOC.

Early stage mucinous ovarian cancer: A review

Mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOCs) are an uncommon subset of epithelial neoplasms, both clinically and molecularly distinct from other ovarian cancers. Pathologic diagnosis proves challenging, and metastatic disease from other sites-especially the digestive tract-must be excluded. Fortunately, most patients are diagnosed at an early stage of disease and often present with large, unilateral adnexal masses. Survival for patients with stage IA disease approaches over 90%, and surgery alone is sufficient. Patients with stage IB-II disease should receive adjuvant treatment but the specific regimen is controversial. In the following review, we provide an overview of mucinous ovarian carcinomas, with a particular focus on the treatment of patients with early stage disease.

Associations between residual disease and survival in epithelial ovarian cancer by histologic type

OBJECTIVE

Surgical cytoreduction has been postulated to affect survival by increasing the efficacy of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. We hypothesized that women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, which usually responds to chemotherapy, would derive greater benefit from complete cytoreduction than those with histologic subtypes that are less responsive to chemotherapy, such as mucinous and clear cell carcinoma.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent primary cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy for stage IIIC or IV epithelial ovarian cancer from 2011 to 2013 using data from the National Cancer Database. We constructed multivariable models to quantify the magnitude of associations between residual disease status (no residual disease, ≤1cm, or >1cm) and all-cause mortality by histologic type among women with clear cell, mucinous, and high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Because 26% of the sample had unknown residual disease status, we used multiple imputations in the primary analysis.

RESULTS

We identified 6,013 women with stage IIIC and IV high-grade serous, 307 with clear cell, and 140 with mucinous histology. The association between residual disease status and mortality hazard did not differ significantly among histologic subtypes of ovarian cancer (p for interaction=0.32). In covariate adjusted models, compared to suboptimal cytoreduction, cytoreduction to no gross disease was associated with a hazard reduction of 42% in high-grade serous carcinoma (hazard ratio [HR]=0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.49-0.68), 61% in clear cell carcinoma (HR=0.39, 95% CI=0.22-0.69), and 54% in mucinous carcinoma (HR=0.46, 95% CI=0.22-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

We found no evidence that surgical cytoreduction was of greater prognostic importance in high-grade serous carcinomas than in histologies that are less responsive to chemotherapy.

Is lymphadenectomy necessary in mucinous ovarian cancer? A single institution experience

BACKGROUND

According to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) guidelines, every patient diagnosed with ovarian cancer (OC) should undergo a complete staging procedure to adequately assess tumor spread. The role of lymphadenectomy in the initial management of primary early mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC) remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of pelvic and para-aortic node metastases in MOC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of patients with MOC treated at our Institute during January 2005 to December 2011 were assessed. A descriptive and comparative analysis was conducted. Overall survival (OS) and diseases-free period (DFP) were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared with the log-rank test.

RESULTS

Of 31 patients with MOC, 14 (45.16%) underwent lymphadenectomy, obtaining 190 pelvic nodes, with a median of 9 pelvic lymph nodes removed per patient (interquartile range = 15). There was no evidence of metastatic disease in the dissected pelvic nodes.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that complete surgical staging with lymph node dissection has no effect on recurrence, disease-free period, and overall survival of patients with early stage MOC.

Mucinous ovarian cancer: A therapeutic review

Mucinous ovarian cancer represents approximately 3% of epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). Despite this seemingly low prevalence, it remains a diagnostic and therapeutic conundrum that has resulted in numerous attempts to adopt novel strategies in managing this disease. Anecdotally, there has been a prevailing notion that established gold standard systemic regimens should be substituted for those utilised in cancers such as gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies; tumours that share more biological similarities than other EOC subtypes. This review summarises the plethora of small studies which have adopted this philosophy and influenced the design of the multinational GOG142 study, which was ultimately terminated due to poor accrual. To date, there is a paucity of evidence to support delivering 'GI style' chemotherapy for mucinous ovarian cancer over and above carboplatin-paclitaxel doublet therapy. Hence there is an urge to develop studies focused on targeted therapeutic agents driven by refined mutational analysis and conducted within the context of harmonised international collaborations.