[Ovarian cancers and simultaneous primary cancers of the upper female genital tract].

258 patients with ovarian carcinomas who underwent surgery at the University Women's Hospital Charlottenburg/Berlin (during 1980-1987) and at the I. University Women's Hospital Munich (during 1987-1990) were re-examined for the occurrence of a simultaneous primary secondary carcinoma in the upper genital tract. The diagnoses were made according to strict histological criteria. In 13 cases (5%) simultaneous carcinomas of the upper genital tract were found. In this group we would like to especially mention 6 of the 33 patients (18.2%) with an endometroid ovarian carcinoma, 3 of the 47 patients (6.4%) with an ovarian tumor of low malignant potential and 1 of the 12 patients with a serous-papillary carcinoma of the peritoneum ("non-ovarian carcinoma of the ovary"). In our opinion these carcinomas are independent multifocal primaries originating from the primary and secondary Mullerian epithelium. Staging protocols of these simultaneous tumors, especially prognostic estimation and development of therapeutic strategies should consider this possible multifocal pathogenesis.