A propensity score-matched analysis of oncological outcome after systemic therapy for stage IV colorectal cancer: Impact of synchronous ovarian metastases.

The reported incidence of synchronous and metachronous ovarian metastases (OM) from colorectal cancer (CRC) is ~3.4%. OM from CRC are often considered sanctuary sites due to their lower sensitivity to systemic treatment. It has thus been hypothesized that the presence of OM decreases overall survival. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to evaluate the impact of synchronous OM on overall survival in female patients with stage IV CRC treated with systemic therapy alone with palliative intent. The present study used data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and included female CRC patients with synchronous systemic metastases who were treated with systemic therapy between 2008 and 2018. A subsample was created using propensity score matching to create comparable groups. Propensity scores were determined using a logistic regression model in which the dependent variable was the presence of OM and the independent variables were the variables that differed significantly between both groups. Our study included 5253 patients with stage IV CRC that received systemic therapy. Among these patients, 161 (3%) had OM while 5092 (97%) had extra-ovarian metastases only. Three-year overall survival rates did not show a significant difference between patients with OM compared to patients without ovarian metastases. Moreover, the propensity score-matched analysis showed that the presence of OM in patients treated with systemic therapy for stage IV CRC disease was not associated with decreased 3-year overall survival. However, the results of the present study should be interpreted with caution, due to its observational character and used selection criteria.

Ovarian metastases in young women with colorectal cancer: a retrospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies indicated that approximately 3.4% of female colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are at increased risk of developing ovarian metastases (OM). It has been suggested that young women more frequently develop this form of metastatic disease. METHODS: This study evaluated, in 6 Dutch hospitals, the proportion of young women with CRC who developed OM. RESULTS: In a cohort of 200 young (age ≤ 55) women with CRC, the proportion of patients diagnosed with synchronous or metachronous OM was calculated. This study revealed that 5% (n = 10) of young female CRC patients developed ovarian metastases resulting in a 5-year overall survival rate of approximately 40%. Furthermore, six patients had concurrent peritoneal metastases, five patients had bilateral ovarian metastases, and five patients had synchronous metastases, while the median time of the occurrence of metachronous metastases (n = 5) was 19 months. CONCLUSION: This retrospective multicenter cohort study indicates that 5% of young women with CRC either present with or develop OM. This result appears to be clinically relevant and demonstrates the need for improved surveillance for young women diagnosed with CRC.

Outcomes of ovarian transposition in cervical cancer; an updated meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the most common indication for ovarian transposition in reproductive-age women. Ovarian transposition should be performed in premenopausal women undergoing pelvic irradiation to preserve ovarian function, and prevent early menopause. As women become more knowledgeable about their fertility options, it is still unclear who will benefit from the intervention. We updated our previous meta-analysis of ovarian function preservation, symptomatic ovarian cysts, and metastases to the transposed ovaries following ovarian transposition in cervical cancer patients to further guide current clinical practice. METHODS: A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and The Cochrane Library databases, dating from January 1980 to July 2021, was conducted. We computed the summary proportions of women who had ovarian function preservation, non-ovarian cyst formation and metastases to the transposed ovaries following ovarian transposition by random-effects meta-analysis and we explored study heterogeneity by type of radiotherapy. RESULTS: There were 29 publications reporting on 1160 women with cervical cancer who underwent ovarian transposition. In the group that underwent surgery alone, 91% of the women had preserved ovarian function (95% CI 83-100), 89% (95% CI 80-99) of women who did not develop ovarian cysts, and 99% (95% CI 1-5) of women who did not suffer metastases to the transposed ovaries. In the surgery ± brachytherapy (BR) group, the proportion of women with the preserved ovarian function was 93% (95% CI 76-113), 84% (95% CI 69-103) of women who did not develop ovarian cysts, and 99% (95% CI 82-120) of women who did not suffer metastases to the transposed ovaries. In the external beam pelvic radiotherapy (EBRT) ± BR ± surgery group, the proportion of women with the preserved ovarian function was 61% (95% CI 55-69), and 95% (95% CI 85-107) of women who developed ovarian cysts. There were no metastases to the transposed ovaries in that group. CONCLUSIONS: In women with cervical cancer, ovarian transposition offers a significant preservation of the ovarian function. Despite an expected incidence of ovarian cyst formation, it carries almost no risk for metastases to the transposed ovaries.

Ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer in young women: a systematic review of the literature.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In female colorectal cancer patients, a mean proportion of synchronous and/or metachronous ovarian metastases of 3.4% was described. Previous literature showed that young or premenopausal women (≤ 55 years of age) may be more frequently affected. Once ovarian metastases are diagnosed, the prognosis of the patient is generally dismal, with 5-year survival varying from 12 to 27%. The present study is aimed at determining the proportion of young or premenopausal women diagnosed with colorectal cancer who presented with or developed ovarian metastases by reviewing the current literature on this topic. METHODS: This review was performed by querying MEDLINE and EMBASE databases using a combination of terms: "colorectal neoplasms, colorectal cancer, ovarian neoplasms, Krukenberg tumor, young adult, young age, premenopause." Studies that indicated ovarian metastases, either synchronous or metachronous (or a combination of the two), in young women were retrieved and analyzed. RESULTS: The review identified 14 studies encompassing 3379 young or premenopausal female colorectal cancer patients. In this selected group of patients, a mean proportion of ovarian metastases of 4.6% [95% CI: 4.0;5.4] was found. CONCLUSIONS: This review showed that approximately one in twenty young female colorectal cancer patients will present with or develop ovarian metastases. Since outcome of this specific oncological pathology is often dismal, this finding is clinically relevant. It demonstrates the need to develop strategies to lower the incidence of ovarian metastases with adequate treatment and counseling of these patients.

Prognostic factors for ovarian metastases in colorectal cancer patients.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for ovarian metastases (OM) in colorectal cancer (CRC) using data from a Chinese center. In addition, the study aimed at developing a new clinical scoring system for prognosis of OM of CRC patients after surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data of CRC patients with OM were collected from a single Chinese institution (n = 67). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate cumulative survival of patients. Factors associated with prognosis of overall survival (OS) were explored using Cox's proportional hazard regression models. A scoring system to determine effectiveness of prognosis was developed. RESULTS: Median OS values for patients with or without surgery were 22 and 7 months, respectively. Size of OM, number of OM, peritoneal metastasis (PM), Peritoneal cancer index (PCI), and completeness of cytoreduction (CC) were associated with OS of patients through univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis using a Cox regression model showed that only CC was an independent predictor for OS. Three variables (the size of OM >15cm, PCI ≥ 10, and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) >30 ng/mL) assigned one point each were used to develop a risk score. The resulting score was used for prognosis of OS. CONCLUSION: Surgical treatment of metastatic sites is effective and safe for CRC patients with OM. CC-0 is recommended for improved prognosis. The scoring system developed in this study is effective for prediction of OS of patients after surgery.

Ovarian metastases from ileum cancer in a patient with germline EPCAM gene deletion successfully treated with surgical resection and CAPOX chemotherapy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent findings that epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EPCAM) deletions can cause Lynch syndrome (LS), its clinical characteristics are still unknown. We present the first case of ileum cancer in a patient with germline EPCAM gene deletion, which was discovered during ovarian tumor surgery. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old woman presented with a history of colon cancer occurring at 38 and 55 years old. Five of her siblings had a history of colon cancer, and an elder sister had confirmed LS. As imaging examination revealed an ovarian tumor, and we performed hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Careful observation during surgery revealed a cherry-sized tumor in the ileum, prompting partial ileal resection. Pathological examination showed the ovarian tumor to be a metastasis of ileum cancer. Genetic testing with blood-relative information using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification showed EPCAM exons 8 and 9 deletions, confirming LS. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) and has remained disease-free for 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: We were fortunate to identify ileum cancer that would have been difficult to find preoperatively through careful observation during ovarian tumor surgery and successfully treated the patient by using surgical resection and CAPOX chemotherapy. When treating patients with hereditary cancer syndromes including LS, we should keep all associated cancers in mind.

Primary appendiceal mucinous neoplasm: Gynecological manifestations, management, and prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinicopathological characteristics, management, and survival of patients with appendiceal mucinous neoplasm misdiagnosed as ovarian tumor and initially treated by a gynecological oncologists. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data for 71 patients identified from January 1, 2006 to September 31, 2018 with a final pathological diagnosis of appendiceal mucinous neoplasm. All patients were diagnosed as having ovarian tumor preoperatively and initially treated at Department of Gynecological Oncology. RESULTS: The median patients' age was 61 years, and the median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) was 16, with a complete cytoreduction score (CCR0/1) achieved in 46.47% of patients. Two patients received hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Estimated 5-year and 10-year survival was 76.7% and 53.4%, respectively. PCI and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were identified as independent predictors of poor overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the high rate of ovarian metastases and the difficulty diagnosing appendiceal mucinous neoplasm preoperatively, this condition should be highlighted in gynecological oncology. Because initial surgical intervention is often performed by gynecological oncologists, updating the management guidelines for appendiceal mucinous tumor is needed because the rates of CCR0/1 resection and HIPEC are much lower in patients who are misdiagnosed.

Incidence, risk factors, treatment, and survival of ovarian metastases of colorectal origin: a Dutch population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this nationwide study was to provide insight in the incidence, risk factors, treatment, and survival of patients with ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry were used. All newly diagnosed female CRC patients between 2008 and 2016 were included. Treatment was categorized as follows: cytoreductive surgery followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC); resection of the primary tumor; palliative treatment; and no treatment. Overall survival (OS) was investigated using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: Of 53,883 female CRC patients, 11,343 (21.1%) had metastases at time of diagnosis. Among them, 471 (4.2%) had ovarian metastases. Within latter group, 27.2% received CRS-HIPEC; 38.4% underwent resection of the primary tumor; 25.3% received palliative treatment; and 9.1% received no treatment. Median OS of all patients with ovarian metastases was 17.5 months. In patients receiving CRS-HIPEC, OS was significantly longer than in patients undergoing resection only (median OS 34.1 vs. 17.5 months, adjusted HR 0.44 [0.33-0.66]). Five-year OS was 28.5% for patients having underwent CRS-HIPEC, 11.0% for patients having underwent resection of the primary tumor, 1.2% for patients having underwent palliative treatment, and 0.0% for patients without treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Synchronous ovarian metastases are diagnosed in 4.2% of female colorectal patients presenting with metastatic disease. Risk factors are young age, T4/N+ tumor and histology of signet ring cell carcinoma. Median OS of the entire cohort was 17.5 months, ranging from 3.1 months in patients without treatment to 34.1 months in patients undergoing CRS-HIPEC.

Clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis analysis of ovarian metastases in colorectal cancer: a single-center experience.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to improve the management of ovarian metastases (OM) in colorectal cancer (CRC) by evaluating the clinicopathological characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and prognostic factors associated with OM originating from CRC. METHODS: Medical records of patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with OM of CRC origin were reviewed from January 2011 to December 2018 in our medical center. Data related to clinicopathological characteristics, therapeutic strategies, and survival time were recorded and analyzed. Survival and prognosis analyses were carried out to identify variables significantly associated with the outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-six patients were included in the study with a median follow-up of 14 months. Premenopausal (< 50 years) and colon cancer patients were more likely to develop OM. Synchronous OM was found in 34 patients and elevated carbohydrate antigen 125 value could be seen in 67.4% of patients. Bilateral ovarian involvement (27/46, 58.8%) and combined extra-ovarian metastases (32/46, 69.6%) were common in included patients. Complete cytoreduction surgery (R0 resection) was finally achieved in 19 of included patients and 41 patients received postoperative chemotherapy. However, the overall prognosis remains poor, with a median survival time of only 12 months. In univariate analysis, histological types (P = 0.002), peritoneal metastasis (P < 0.0001), the extent of metastatic lesions (P = 0.0001), and completeness of cytoreduction surgery (P < 0.0001) were found to be closely related to prognosis. Finally, completeness of cytoreduction surgery was considered to be the independent determinant of patients' outcome (HR 0.186, 95% CI 0.047-0.727, P = 0.016) by multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In multitudinous factors, complete cytoreduction surgery (R0 resection) may provide survival benefits in patients with OM of CRC origin. Thus, it is reasonable to recommend aggressive surgery with curative intent even if extra-ovarian metastases are present. Furthermore, postoperative chemotherapy may exert a positive effect on the treatment, but needs to be confirmed by large-scale trials with more participants in the future.

Novel classification of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer by radiological imaging and macroscopic appearance.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of secondary ovarian tumors originating from colorectal cancer has previously been based upon history of malignancy and radiological findings of bilateral masses with a "stained glass appearance." The purpose of this study was to perform a detailed investigation of the radiological and macroscopic features of ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer, which remain to be fully characterized. METHODS: Study participants were 48 consecutive patients with ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer who underwent resection of ovarian tumors at the National Cancer Center Hospital between August 1998 and January 2019. Ovarian tumors were classified into subgroups using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and macroscopic appearance. RESULTS: CT/MRI findings and macroscopic appearance were classified into the following four types: type 1 (oval, homogeneous-solid) (n = 5); type 2 (heterogeneous-solid, small in size with multinodular surface) (n = 3); type 3 (solid-cystic, predominantly solid) (n = 18); and type 4 (cystic-solid, multilocular with solid components) (n = 22). Type 1 mimics Krukenberg tumors, type 2 mimics ovarian metastases from breast cancer, type 3 mimics primary ovarian endometrioid cancer, and type 4 mimics primary ovarian mucinous cancer, with a "stained glass appearance". Twenty-eight (58%) patients had bilateral metastases. Eleven patients (23%) underwent hysterectomy and/or pelvic lymph node dissection in addition to ovarian resection. CONCLUSION: We introduced a novel classification system for ovarian metastases originating from colorectal cancer, which may be beneficial for assessing ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer and avoiding unnecessary surgery due to misdiagnosis of primary ovarian tumors.

[Ovarian metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas: the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of 10 cases].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of a series of ovarian metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Methods: Data of clinical manifestation, pathological characteristic, treatment and follow-up result from ten patients with ovarian metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The median age of onset was 46 years (38~79 years). The primary tumors were located in the body and tail of the pancreas in 8 cases. Bilateral ovarian metastasis occurred in 8 patients at the time of diagnosis. The median time from patients with clinical symptom to ovarian metastases was 2.5 months (0~12 months). Peritoneal metastasis was found in all of 10 cases. Nine cases were accompanied by CA125 elevation. The major features of metastatic carcinoma in the ovary were cystic-solid appearance (8 cases) and mucinous adenocarcinoma (6 cases) with no obvious immunohistochemical features in pathological observation. All patients underwent palliative ovariectomy at onset, and one patient underwent primary tumor resection simultaneously. Seven patients received chemotherapy. The median survival time of the 10 patients was 10.3 months. Conclusions: Ovarian metastases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are easily misdiagnosed. The final diagnosis depends on clinical manifestations, imaging and histopathological observation. Ovariectomy may be associated with better outcome.

Clinical significance of HER2 and EGFR expression in colorectal cancer patients with ovarian metastasis.

BACKGROUND: EGFR and HER2 overexpression has been reported to play important roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and metastasis. Ovarian metastasis is rare yet is one of the most malignant metastases of CRC, but very few studies have focused on its biological features. This study aimed to investigate the expression of EGFR and HER2 in ovarian metastases of CRC and to reveal their clinical significance. METHODS: The expression of HER2 and EGFR in both primary tumours and ovarian metastases was analysed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 31 CRC patients with ovarian metastases as well as in the primary tumours of 26 CRC patients with non-ovarian metastases. The overall survival time was calculated with a Kaplan-Meier survival curve and compared with a log-rank test. RESULTS: HER2 positivity in primary tumours was significantly higher in patients with ovarian metastases than in those with non-ovarian metastases (54.5% vs. 36.4%, P < 0.05). The EGFR-positive rate in primary lesions was not significantly different between patients with ovarian metastases and those with non-ovarian metastases (63.6% vs. 58.3%, P > 0.05). HER2 expression was not correlated with age, primary tumour site, tumour differentiation, tumour diameter or vascular cancer embolus (P > 0.05). The positive rates of HER2 and EGFR in ovarian metastases were 44.8 and 69.0%, respectively. HER2 expression in ovarian metastases was correlated with peritoneal metastasis and bilateral ovarian metastasis (P < 0.05) but not with age, synchronous or metachronous ovarian metastases and the primary tumour site (P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between EGFR expression and the clinicopathological features in ovarian metastases (P > 0.05). CRC patients with HER2-positive ovarian metastases showed a shortened overall survival time compared to that of CRC patients with HER2-negative metastases (17.0 ± 5.2 vs. 32.0 ± 8.3 months). CONCLUSION: Our studies revealed that EGFR and HER2 are highly expressed in the primary tumours and metastases of CRC patients with ovarian metastases. HER2 positivity may be a negative prognostic predictor in patients with ovarian metastases.

Retrospective Analyses of Systemic Chemotherapy and Cytoreductive Surgery for Patients with Ovarian Metastases from Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Center Experience.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian metastases from colorectal cancers are relatively rare. Since most ovarian metastases are associated with metastases at other sites, the prognosis is usually poor. Few reports exist that describe the clinical course of colorectal cancer patients with ovarian metastasis, including the chemotherapy response. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of patients with ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer treated at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, between January 2006 and December 2015. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients with ovarian metastases received palliative chemotherapy as first-line treatment. The objective response rate for systemic chemotherapy of ovarian metastases was significantly lower than that for other metastatic sites (23.5 vs. 63.6% for first-line, respectively, p = 0.0047). Following chemotherapy, the additional surgical resection of ovarian metastases was positively associated with longer overall survival (OS) compared to no surgical resection (43.1 vs. 17.0 months, respectively, p = 0.0016). Furthermore, cytoreductive surgery was also positively associated with longer OS, especially when other metastatic sites were well controlled. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian metastases are less responsive to systemic chemotherapy compared to extra-ovarian metastases in patients with relapsed or metastatic colorectal cancer. Multidisciplinary treatment strategy, including systemic chemotherapy and cytoreductive surgery, may contribute to the prolongation of OS.

Unusual bilateral ovarian metastases from ileal gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST): a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract and liver and peritoneum are the main sites of recurrence. Ovarian metastases from GIST are very rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 50 years-old woman was found to have a pelvic mass on transvaginal ultrasound (TV-US) and computed tomography (CT)-scan, considered as a right ovarian mass. The patient underwent surgical abdominal exploration that showed an ileal mass, a normal right ovary and an irregular and vascularized surface of the left ovary. A segmental ileal resection and an ileal anastomosis were performed. Frozen section showed a GIST and surgery was completed with hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic peritonectomy, peritoneal washing and Burch procedure. The histological examination confirmed an ileal GIST with ovarian metastases, harboring in both sites of disease a KIT exon 11 deletion. CONCLUSIONS: Ovarian localizations, as far as rare, can be a clinical finding in case of ileal GIST patients, and both gynecologists, pathologists and medical oncologists should be able to recognize them.

Impact of ovarian metastases on survival in patients treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for peritoneal malignancy originating from appendiceal and colorectal cancer.

AIM: Ovarian metastases from gastrointestinal tract malignancies have been considered an ominous finding with poor prognosis. The aim of this project was to determine the impact on survival, and potential cure, when cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) are combined to treat peritoneal malignancy in women with Krukenberg tumours. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data between January 2010 and July 2015. Female patients undergoing complete CRS (macroscopic tumour removal) and HIPEC for pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) of appendiceal origin, or colorectal peritoneal metastases (CPM) were included. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival rates compared using the log-rank test. RESULTS: In total, 889 patients underwent surgery for peritoneal malignancy, of whom 551 were female. Of these, 504/551 (91%) underwent complete CRS and HIPEC. Overall, 405/504 (80%) had at least one involved ovary removed either during CRS and HIPEC or at their index prereferral operation. Three hundred and fifty-two patients (87%) had an appendiceal tumour and 53 (13%) had CPM. At a median follow up of 40 months, overall survival (OS) did not differ significantly between patients with or without ovarian involvement in women with a primary low-grade appendiceal tumour or CPM. In women with high-grade primary appendiceal pathology, OS was significantly lower in patients with ovarian metastases compared with those without ovarian involvement. CONCLUSION: Women with ovarian metastases from low-grade appendiceal tumours or colorectal cancer treated with CRS and HIPEC have similar survival rates to patients without ovarian metastases. Long-term survival and cure is feasible in patients amenable to complete tumour removal.

Morphological and phenotypical features of ovarian metastases in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Autotransplantation of frozen-thawed ovarian tissue is a method to preserve ovarian function and fertility in patients undergoing gonadotoxic therapy. In oncology patients, the safety cannot yet be guaranteed, since current tumor detection methods can only exclude the presence of malignant cells in ovarian fragments that are not transplanted. We determined the need for a novel detection method by studying the distribution of tumor cells in ovaries from patients with breast cancer. Furthermore, we examined which cell-surface proteins are suitable as a target for non-invasive tumor-specific imaging of ovarian metastases from invasive breast cancer. METHODS: Using the nationwide database of the Dutch Pathology Registry (PALGA), we identified a cohort of 46 women with primary invasive breast cancer and ovarian metastases. The localization and morphology of ovarian metastases were determined on hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections. The following cell-surface markers were immunohistochemically analyzed: E-cadherin, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), human epidermal growth receptor type 2 (Her2/neu), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), αvß6 integrin and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). RESULTS: The majority of ovarian metastases (71%) consisted of a solitary metastasis or multiple distinct nodules separated by uninvolved ovarian tissue, suggesting that ovarian metastases might be overlooked by the current detection approach. Combining the targets E-cadherin, EMA and Her2/neu resulted in nearly 100% detection of ductal ovarian metastases, whereas the combination of EMA, Her2/neu and EpCAM was most suitable to detect lobular ovarian metastases. CONCLUSIONS: Examination of the actual ovarian transplants is recommended. A combination of targets is most appropriate to detect ovarian metastases by tumor-specific imaging.

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma with bilateral ovarian metastases, panniculitis and polyarthritis treated with FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy regimen. A case report and review of the literature.

Pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma (PACC) is a rare pancreatic tumor, with an estimated frequency of less than 1% of pancreatic malignancies. There are no prospective studies to guide diagnostic or therapeutic algorithms. We report the case of a 36 year-old woman, diagnosed of a pancreatic tumor with liver and peritoneal metastases that was initially managed as a neuroendocrine tumor with temozolomide and capecitabine. After two cycles a severely painful arthritis developed in her left ankle with panniculitis and extensive fat necrosis, and CT scan demonstrated progressive disease. Pathology of the primary was reassessed establishing the diagnosis of PACC. The patient started treatment with FOLFIRINOX regimen, achieving clinical benefit and disease stabilization. We also briefly reviewed the literature on this rare subtype of pancreatic tumor.

Serum human epididymal protein 4 (HE4) as biomarker for the differentiation between epithelial ovarian cancer and ovarian metastases of gastrointestinal origin.

OBJECTIVE: About 5-15% of all malignant ovarian tumors are metastases from other malignancies such as gastrointestinal tumors, breast cancer or melanoma. Also other gynecological tumors can metastasize to the ovaries. It is crucial to differentiate between primary epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) and ovarian metastases because different treatment is required. The clinical value of human epididymal secretory protein 4 (HE4) as a serum biomarker in primary ovarian cancer has been established. The use of HE4 in the differentiation between primary ovarian cancer and ovarian metastases from other malignancies has never been investigated. METHODS: HE4, CA125 and CEA were measured in 192 patients with EOC (n=147) or ovarian metastases (n=40). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were done. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated for all markers and ratios hereof using receiver operating characteristics methodology. RESULTS: Median serum HE4 concentration was significantly higher in patients with EOC compared to patients with ovarian metastases (431 pmol/L vs 68 pmol/L, p<0.001). HE4 and CEA were independent factors in differentiating between EOC and ovarian metastases (both p<0.001) while CA125 was not (p=0.33). The HE4(2.5)/CEA ratio demonstrated the highest discriminative value (ROC-AUC 0.94) compared to HE4, CEA, CA125 or CA125/CEA ratio (0.88, 0.78, 0.80 and 0.89 respectively) and showed a specificity of 82.5% at set sensitivity of 90% in discriminating EOC from ovarian metastases. CONCLUSION: HE4 can be used in combination with CEA to make the distinction between EOC and ovarian metastases from gastrointestinal origin.

Robotic surgery for rectosigmoid junction tumor with ovarian metastases.

Isolated ovarian metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) are rare disease presenting in approximately 3% of all patients undergoing colorectal resection. Most reports describe an open approach to the disease, but we report a case isolated ovarian metastases from CRC managed completely by robotic technique. A 54-year-old female, with a family history of CRC, was admitted for rectosigmoid junction cancer. Computed tomography scan demonstrated in rectosigmoid tumor and pelvic mass, presumed as teratoma. Robotic surgery discovered a 10-cm encapsulated tumor, attached to the left ovary, with no macroscopic peritoneal involvement. The pathologic diagnosis of the resected pelvic mass, ovarian metastases from CRC. Robotic anterior resection was performed. Operative time was lasted 165 min, considering 25 min for robotic system set up. This is the first report to describe robot-assisted anterior resection and oophorectomy in patient with isolated ovarian metastases from rectosigmoid junction cancer.

Synchronous primary breast angiosarcoma with invasive ductal carcinoma.

Primary angiosarcoma (PAS) of the breast is an extremely uncommon variant of breast malignancies. Highly aggressiveness and dismal prognosis characterize this endothelial neoplasm. We report here an unusual case of PAS of the breast occurring in a 46-year-old woman associated with concurrent bilateral invasive ductal carcinoma and ovarian metastases.