Epithelial ovarian tumors of borderline malignancy.

Between January 1975 and January 1987, 80 patients underwent primary surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital for epithelial ovarian tumors of borderline malignancy. Surgical staging revealed 52 (65%) patients with stage IA, 2 (2.5%) with stage IB, 10 (12.5%) with stage IC, 4 (5%) with stage II, 11 (13.8%) with stage III, and 1 (1.2%) with stage IV. All 37 patients with mucinous tumors had stage I disease, whereas 13 (33%) of 39 patients with serous tumors had stage II-IV disease. The mean sizes of mucinous and serous ovarian tumors were 18.7 and 10 cm, respectively. At initial surgery, 48 (60%) patients had a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and 16 (20%) had an oophorectomy. Sixteen (20%) patients underwent cystectomy, 6 (37.5%) of whom subsequently had an oophorectomy. All 10 patients treated by cystectomy alone have remained disease free. CA-125 levels were normal in 5 patients with stage I disease, but were elevated in 6 of 8 patients with more advanced tumors. Current disease status was determined in 72 patients (90%); 69 (95.8%) are alive and disease free, 1 (1.4%) patient is alive with tumor, and 2 (2.8%) patients died, free of disease.