Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the clinical outcome and fertility in patients managed conservatively for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
Patients: Datas of 42 patients treated conservatively for EOC were reviewed. Thirty-seven followed-up patients with complete data were analyzed. Optimal surgical staging was performed in two cases during the initial surgery and in 33 patients during a reassessment surgery. Six patients underwent a hysterectomy during this restaging surgery.
Results: Among 31 patients treated conservatively following the restaging surgery, the FIGO staging distribution was: 24 stage IA (grade 1 n = 10; grade 2 n = 12; grade 3 n = 2); two stages IC; two stage II and two patients with initial stage unknown. Ten patients recurred (eight on the remaining ovary). The disease free survival at five years for patients with stage IA grade 1 and two tumors were respectively 89 and 66%. All patients with stage > IA recurred. Only five pregnancies (four spontaneous and one following IVF procedure) were obtained.
Conclusion: Conservative surgery for patients with EOC could be considered in young patient with stage IA grade 1 disease adequately staged and desiring to preserve fertility potential but should not performed in patients with FIGO stage > IA.