neo_ovarian
Table of Contents
ovarian tumours
introduction
- ovarian tumours occur in all stages of a woman's life, from childhood, when they are mostly disgerminomas, through the reproductive age, when functional cysts predominate, to menopause when up to 30% of all ovarian tumours are borderline or malignant.
- malignant ovarian tumours constitute approx. 8% of all ovarian tumours & can be diagnosed as probably malignant pre-operatively in ~80% of cases
- most ovarian carcinomas are composed of cells that resemble those derived from mullerian ducts. In most ovaries, there are no cells of mullerian origin.
- recent theories suggest that most high-grade serous carcinomas may actually arise from the fallopian tube epithelial cells, while endometriosis may be a precursor to clear-cell and endometrioid carcinomas as these are derived from ectopic uterine epithelium 1).
- once these tumours become symptomatic, it would seem early presentation within 1 month vs 6 months does not affect staging or prognosis2)
risk factors for ovarian cancer
- family history:
- family history is the strongest risk factor for ovarian cancer. Compared with a 1.6% lifetime risk for developing ovarian cancer in the general population, women with one first-degree relative with ovarian cancer have a 5% risk, and women with two first-degree relatives have a 7% risk.
- familial clustering of ovarian cancer tends to fall into one of three groups:
- family history of ovarian cancer only (site specific)
- family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer (breast/ovarian cancer)
- family history of nonpolyposis colorectal, endometrial, urologic, prostate, lung, and ovarian cancers (Lynch II syndrome).
- accounts for 10% of hereditary ovarian cancers
- associated with germline mutations in the DNA mismatch repair genes hMLH1 and hMSH2.
- familial clustering with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance (hereditary ovarian cancer) results from germline mutations in putative tumor suppressor genes.
- obesity is associated with hyperinsulinemia and increased risk of several cancers. Body mass is correlated with breast, colorectal, prostate, endometrial, and ovarian cancers.
- tubal ligation lowers risk (RR 0.2-0.9) & this effect lasts ~20yrs presumably due to decreased ovarian blood supply
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- Ovarian Cancer Association Consortium (OCAC)study published in 2012 suggests patients with a history of endometriosis have:
- 3x risk of clear-cell ovarian cancers
- more than double the risk of endometrioid tumours
- 2x risk of low-grade serous ovarian cancers
- talcum powder applied to genital area theoretically may cause ovarian cancer but data is conflicting
germ cell tumours
- account for 80% of ovarian neoplasms requiring surgery in adolescents
dermoid cysts
- account for 50% are adnexal masses in pre-pubertal girls
- 99% are benign
- 10-20% are bilateral although may not be concurrently.
solid teratomas
- usually malignant; 50% occur before age 20yrs, 98% are unilateral.
- rarely hormonally active, although occasional one does produce hCG.
dysgerminomas
- arise from undifferentiated germ cells and are always malignant.
- usually occur before 20yrs age & may be bilateral, and may secrete hCG.
choriocarcinoma
- very rare to arise without a pregnancy; highly malignant; secretes hCG.
gonadoblastomas
- rare mixed germ cell & sex-cord tumor of prepubertal children
- most patients are karyotypically 46XY or mosaic 45XO-46XY
endodermal sinus tumours
- arise from the yolk sac endoderm
- mostly seen in children & adolescents
- highly malignant, metastazing early through lymphatics, poor prognosis.
- virtually all secrete AFP which is used as a tumour marker
epithelial ovarian tumours
- have potential to develop into cystadenocarcinoma
- very uncommon in childhood and early adoloscence but account for 18% of ovarian neoplasms in late adolescence.
serous cystadenomas
- are most frequent in 20-40yr olds
mucinous cystadenomas
- most frequent in 30-50yr olds and usually > 15cm at diagnosis and may form tumours weighing more than 45kg. prone to torsion and adhesion formation.
endometrioid tumors
- less common than cystadenomas; most frequent in 30-50yr olds and are usually malignant although with reasonable prognosis. May be cystic and up to 25cm.
gonadal stromal tumours (sex cord mesenchymal tumors)
- often hormonally active
granulosa cell tumours
- usually 5-10cm and generally solid but may undergo cystic degeneration if large.
- may produce dub as they can produce excess oestrogen (25% do), and thus can cause endometrial hyperplasia or carcinoma, particularly in woman aged > 40yrs.
- if malignant (25% are), late recurrence beyond 5yrs often occurs.
- infrequent in children and when present are rarely malignant but occasionally produce precocious puberty.
thecoma fibromas
- almost never malignant but almost always hormonally active
- rarely occur before age 30yrs, and less common after menopause than granulosa cell tumours
- luteoma - may produce oestrogen, androgen or be inert, and more likely to become malignant than thecoma fibromas
luteoma of pregnancy
- occurs in 10-40% of pregnancies and is a benign solid tumour usually 5-10cm and occasionally produces testosterone causing mild maternal masculinisation during pregnancy and has been reported to cause masculinisation in the female fetus.
- these regress post-partum leaving no residua.
- NB. a solid ovarian tumour discovered during pregnancy should be surgically evaluated because of the possibility of ovarian cancer.
Sertoli-Leydig cell tumours
- formerly called arrhenoblastomas or androblastomas
- very rare; 25% are hormonally active; 3-20% are malignant.
neo_ovarian.txt · Last modified: 2016/02/24 20:56 by 127.0.0.1