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Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors Treatment (PDQ®)
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General Information About Ovarian Low Malignant Potential
Tumors
Key Points:
Ovarian low malignant potential tumor is a disease in which
abnormal cells form in
the tissue covering the ovary.
Ovarian low malignant potential tumors have abnormal cells that may become cancer, but usually do not. This disease usually remains in the
ovary. When disease is found in one
ovary, the other ovary should also be checked carefully for signs of
disease.
The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female
reproductive system. They are
located in the pelvis, one on each
side of the uterus (the hollow,
pear-shaped organ where a fetus
grows). Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries
produce eggs and female hormones
(chemicals that control the way certain cells or organs work).
Certain factors affect prognosis
(chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following:
- The stage of the
disease (whether it affects part of the
ovary, involves the whole ovary, or has spread to other places in the body).
- What type of cells make up the tumor.
- The size of the tumor.
- The patient’s general health.
In most cases, ovarian low malignant potential tumor can be
treated successfully.
These tumors are usually found early. However, even advanced stage ovarian low malignant potential tumors can be treated successfully. Patients who do not
survive usually die from complications of the disease (such as a small
bowel obstruction) or the
side effects of treatment, but
rarely because the tumor has spread.
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Stages of Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
Key Points:
After ovarian low malignant potential tumor has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if abnormal cells have spread within the ovary or to other parts of the body.
The process used to find out whether abnormal cells have spread within the
ovary or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the
stage in order to
plan treatment. Certain tests or procedures are used to determine
stage. Staging laparotomy (a surgical
incision made in the wall of the
abdomen to remove ovarian tissue)
may be used. Most patients are diagnosed with stage
I disease.
The following stages are used for ovarian low malignant potential tumor:
Stage I
In stage I, the tumor is found in one or both of the ovaries. Stage I is divided into stage IA, stage IB, and stage IC.
Stage II
In stage II, the tumor is found in one or both ovaries and has spread into other areas of the pelvis. Stage II is divided into stage IIA, stage IIB, and stage IIC.
Stage III
Tumor size compared to everyday objects; shows various measurements of a tumor compared to a pea, peanut, walnut, and lime
In stage III, the tumor is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to other parts of the abdomen. Stage III is divided into stage IIIA, stage IIIB, and stage IIIC.
The spread of tumor cells to the surface of the liver is also considered stage III disease.
Stage IV
In stage IV, tumor cells are found in one or both ovaries and have metastasized (spread) beyond the abdomen to other parts of the body. Tumor cells are found in the tissues of the liver.
Ovarian low malignant potential tumors almost never reach stage IV.
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Recurrent Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
Ovarian low
malignant potential
tumors may recur
(come back) after they have been treated. The tumors may come back in the other ovary or in other parts of the
body.
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Treatment Option Overview
Key Points:
There are different types of treatment for patients with ovarian low
malignant potential tumor.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with
ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some
are being tested in clinical trials.
Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a
clinical trial. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help
improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients
with cancer, tumors, and related conditions. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the
standard treatment, the new
treatment may become the standard treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site. Choosing the most appropriate treatment is a
decision that ideally involves the patient, family, and health care
team.
Two types of standard treatment are used:
Surgery
The type of surgery (removing the
tumor in an operation) depends on
the size and spread of the tumor and the woman’s plans for having children. Surgery
may include the following:
Even if the doctor removes all disease that can be seen at the
time of the operation, the patient may be given chemotherapy after surgery to kill any tumor
cells that are left. Treatment given
after the surgery to increase the chances of a cure is called
adjuvant therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
New types of treatment are being tested in clinical
trials.
Information about ongoing clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site.
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Treatment Options for Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
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Early Stage Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (Stage
I and II)
Surgery is the
standard treatment for early
stage ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor. The type of surgery usually depends on
whether a woman plans to have children.
For women who plan to have children, surgery is either:
To prevent recurrence of
disease, most doctors recommend surgery to remove the remaining ovarian tissue
when a woman no longer plans to have children.
For women who do not plan to have children, treatment may
be hysterectomy and
bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage I borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor and stage II borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor.
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Late Stage Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (Stage
III and IV)
Treatment for late stage ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor may
be hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and
omentectomy. A
lymph node dissection may also be
performed.
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with stage III borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor and stage IV borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor.
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Recurrent Ovarian Low Malignant Potential
Tumors
Treatment for recurrent
ovarian low
malignant potential
tumor may include the following:
Check for clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor.
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Changes to This Summary (01/04/2008)
The PDQ cancer information summaries are reviewed regularly and updated as new information becomes available. This section describes the latest changes made to this summary as of the date above.
Editorial changes were made to this summary.
This information is provided from the PDQ® database in collaboration with the NCI.
