Ultrasound in the follow-up of young patients with malignant ovarian tumors after conservative surgery

A systematic review of evidence for and against routine surveillance imaging after completing treatment for childhood extracranial solid tumors

BACKGROUND

Regular off-treatment imaging is often used to assess for recurrence of disease after childhood cancer treatment. It is unclear if this increases survival, or what burden surveillance places on patients, families, or health-care services. This systematic review examines the impact of routine surveillance imaging after treatment of pediatric extracranial solid tumors.

METHODS

Collaborative patient and public involvement informed the design and interpretation of this work. Thirteen electronic databases, conference proceedings, and trial registries were searched alongside reference list checking and forward citation searching from 1990 onwards. Studies were screened and data were extracted by two researchers. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified ROBINS-I tool. Relevant outcomes were overall survival, psychological distress indicators, number of imaging tests, cost-effectiveness, and qualitative data regarding experiences of surveillance programs. PROSPERO (CRD42018103764).

RESULTS

Of 17 727 records identified, 55 studies of 10 207 patients were included. All studies used observational methods. Risk of bias for all except one study was moderate, serious, or critical. Data were too few to conduct meta-analysis; however, narrative synthesis was performed. Surveillance strategies varied, and poorly reported, involving many scans and substantial radiation exposure (eg, neuroblastoma, median 133.5 mSv). For most diseases, surveillance imaging was not associated with increased overall survival, with the probable exception of Wilms tumor. No qualitative or psychological distress data were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

At present, there is insufficient evidence to evaluate the effects of routine surveillance imaging on survival in most pediatric extracranial solid tumors. More high-quality data are required, preferably through randomized controlled trials with well-conducted qualitative elements.

Behavior of Borderline Tumors With Particular Interest to Persistence, Recurrence, and Progression to Invasive Carcinoma: A Prospective Study

PURPOSE: Borderline tumors account for 10% to 20% of epithelial ovarian tumors, and their prognosis is outstanding; nevertheless, a mortality of up to 20% has been reported, particularly in earlier reports. There is a lack of information about the actual mortality and the rate of progression into invasive carcinoma in large and prospectively accrued populations.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: All women with borderline ovarian tumors undergoing primary surgery in our department or referred within 3 months from surgery performed elsewhere from 1982 to 1997 were prospectively accrued and observed.

RESULTS: We studied 339 women (83.4% stage I, 7.9% stage II, and 8.5% stage III). The median age at diagnosis was 39 years. A total of 150 women underwent radical surgery, and 189 underwent fertility-sparing surgery. After surgery, 13 women had macroscopic residual disease. With a median follow-up of 70 months, 317 women are alive with no clinical disease (eight with documented subclinical persistence of implants), three are alive with clinical disease, two died of disease, 10 died of other reasons, and seven women have been lost to follow-up. The recurrence of disease was higher after fertility-sparing surgery (35 of 189 cases) than after radical surgery (seven of 150 cases); nevertheless, all but one woman with recurrence of borderline tumor or progression to carcinoma after conservative surgery were salvaged. We observed seven progressions (2.0%) into invasive carcinoma, five in serous tumors (2.4%), and two in mucinous tumors (1.6%). The disease-free survival is 99.6% in stage I patients, 95.8% in stage II, and 89% in stage III.

CONCLUSION: The survival of patients with borderline tumors is higher than previously described in some retrospective studies. Conservative surgery is safe and may be proposed to several patients with early and disseminated disease after thorough discussion of all therapeutic options. Progression to carcinoma is approximately 2% and may be observed in both mucinous and serous tumors.

Ultrasound, physical examination, and CA 125 measurement for the detection of recurrence after conservative surgery for early borderline ovarian tumors

BACKGROUND

Borderline ovarian tumors often affect women of childbearing age and the prognosis is outstanding. Given the young age of several patients and the good prognosis, fertility-sparing surgery is considered adequate for stage I tumors. However, women treated conservatively have a relatively small but well-defined risk of recurrence and no study has specifically addressed the optimal follow-up technique.

METHODS

From 1981 to 1997, 164 women underwent fertility-sparing surgery for stage I borderline ovarian tumor and were followed prospectively. After surgery all women underwent physical examination and ultrasound examination every 3 months for 2 years after first diagnosis and every 6 months thereafter. Measurement of serum CA 125 levels was planned every 6 months in patients with a serous tumor.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 71, months 28 women treated with fertility-sparing surgery (28/164 = 17%) had either recurrence of borderline tumor (23) or recurrence with carcinoma. Complete details of follow-up procedures are available for 24 women and they represent the study population. An abnormal adnexal mass was detected in 18 of 19 women with recurrent borderline tumor. One patient had diagnosis due to persistent free fluid. All five women with invasive carcinoma had diagnosis of a complex adnexal mass. Gynecologic examination was suspicious (palpable mass) in 7 cases and obviously abnormal (large mass or nodules) in another 7. CA 125 serum levels were elevated in 8 cases.

CONCLUSION

Transvaginal ultrasound is currently the most effective diagnostic technique for the follow-up of young patients treated conservatively for early borderline ovarian tumor.

Survival and reproductive function after treatment of malignant germ cell ovarian tumors

PURPOSE

Germ cell ovarian tumors are curable. The possible sequelae of chemotherapy on long-term survivors are still unknown, but these patients may expect normal lives. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome and reproductive function in a population of women treated since 1982.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Between 1982 and 1996, 169 women with malignant germ cell ovarian tumors were seen (70 dysgerminomas, 28 endodermal sinus tumors, 24 mixed tumors, and 47 immature teratomas). Seventy-one had advanced or recurrent disease. Fertility-sparing surgery was performed in 138 (81%) women, 81 of whom received postoperative chemotherapy.

RESULTS

With a median follow-up of 67 months, the survival rate was 94% for dysgerminoma, 89% for endodermal sinus tumors, 100% for mixed types, and 98% for immature teratoma. For women who were treated conservatively, the survival rate was 98%, 90%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Two women had adnexal recurrences, and both received salvage treatment. After treatment, all but one postpubertal woman had recovery of menses within 9 months. During follow-up, 12 untreated and 20 treated patients had 55 conceptions. We recorded 40 pregnancies at term, six terminations, and nine miscarriages. Four malformations were observed: one in 14 conceptions of patients who had not received chemotherapy and three in 41 conceptions of treated patients.

CONCLUSION

Irrespective of subtype and stage, conservative surgery should become the standard approach to treating most patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors. Fertility seems to be only marginally affected by treatments. Miscarriages are in the expected range for the general population. The malformation rate is slightly higher than in the general population, but no significant difference was seen between patients who did and did not receive chemotherapy.

Conservative surgery for stage I ovarian carcinoma in women of childbearing age

OBJECTIVE

To assess the results of a policy of tailored conservative surgical management for young women with stage I ovarian carcinomas.

DESIGN

Retrospective study.

PARTICIPANTS

Ninety-nine women aged 40 years or younger who underwent either primary surgery in our department or were referred after primary surgery performed elsewhere.

METHODS

Of the 99 women in our study, 56 underwent fertility-sparing surgery and 43 more radical surgery. Minimal requirements for conservative management were adequate staging and complete information about the therapeutic options. Factors important in the choice of the treatment were, age, wish to preserve fertility, histologic type and grade, and the stage of the tumour.

RESULTS

Conservative treatment was conducted in 84% of nulliparous and in 33% of parous women; 62% of grade 1 tumours, 48% of grade 2, and 50% of grade 3 were treated conservatively. With a median follow up of seven years, we observed five recurrences (9%) of carcinoma in women treated conservatively and five (12%) in those treated more radically. Two women (one in each treatment arm) were saved after recurrence. Two recurrences after conservative surgery involved the residual ovary (3.6%). Two women developed borderline tumour in the contralateral ovary and both were treated by surgery.

CONCLUSION

After adequate staging and accurate information is given to the patient, conservative treatment may be safe in some women with early ovarian cancer. The risk of recurrence in the contralateral ovary is low. Conservative surgery may be also considered in some Stage I grade 3 tumours and in some women with stage JC tumours.

Pre-operative morphological and colour Doppler features of borderline ovarian tumours

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate pre-operatively the sonographic morphology and colour Doppler findings of borderline ovarian tumours and to compare these findings to those of benign and malignant tumours.

METHODS

Pre-operative transvaginal and colour Doppler ultrasound examinations were performed on 150 women with adnexal tumours. Pulsatility index, resistance index, peak systolic velocity, site, number and confluence of vessels were recorded.

RESULTS

Fifty-six women had malignant ovarian tumours, 74 had benign and 20 had borderline tumours. No biological, morphological or demographic parameters were specifically predictive of borderline tumours. Intratumoral vessels with a pulsatility index of below 1.0 were observed in 19 of the 20 borderline tumours; a morphological score suggested malignancy in 15 women whereas the CA125 exceeded 30 u/ml in 10 cases. Confluence of blood vessels was observed only in three cases. A model including intracystic complexity (either vegetations or septa), pulsatility index of less than 1.0, absence of confluence of vessels, CA125 of less than 150 u/L, in a woman under 60 years of age allowed borderline tumours to be detected with 85% sensitivity, 92% specificity and 91% accuracy.

CONCLUSION

Borderline tumours have haemodynamics resembling those of malignant tumours but the distribution of vessels is often similar to that observed in benign tumours; this observation should be considered when proposing multiparameter scoring systems including colour Doppler ultrasound to identify malignancies of the ovary. Colour Doppler findings may be of assistance in the follow up of women after conservative surgery for ovarian malignancies.