Obstetric outcomes after conservative management of ovarian borderline tumors in women of reproductive age: A single center experience.

OBJECTIVE

The main goal of fertility-sparing treatment is pregnancy followed by live birth (i.e., successful pregnancy). The principal objective of our study was to evaluate the successful pregnancy rate in patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) after conservative treatment. The second goal was to evaluate the safety of the conservative approach.

STUDY

DESIGN

110 patients with BOT were retrospectively evaluated. All patients underwent surgical treatment, sparing the uterus and part of at least one ovary.

RESULTS

The median age was 28 years (range 17-40 years). Serous and mucinous tumors were found in 63 (57%) and 34 (31%) women, respectively. FIGO stage I, II, and III was diagnosed in 101 (91.8%), 3 (2.7%), and 6 (5.5%) patients, respectively. The 3- and 5-year progression-free survival was 82.5% and 78.2%, respectively. Recurrent disease was treated conservatively in 14 women, whereas 3 patients underwent radical surgery. Fifty-six (50.9%) patients got pregnant and had at least one live birth. A total of 83 children were born. A significant difference in the successful pregnancy rate was found in patients diagnosed ≤ 35 years vs. > 35 years old (55.6% vs. 9.1%, respectively; p = 0.003). Surgical approach (laparoscopy vs. laparotomy) did not influence the chance of childbirth. Pre-term delivery constituted 6.25% of all births.

CONCLUSIONS

Fertility-sparing surgery should be proposed to young women wishing to preserve fertility. The rate of spontaneous pregnancy is approximately 50%.The risk of relapse is significant but always of borderline histology and may be successfully treated by the second surgery.