Outcomes of patients undergoing fertility-sparing surgery for ovarian cancers: 5- year review in a tertiary hospital

ABSTRACT

A five-year retrospective study was conducted to determine the fertility and clinical outcomes of ovarian cancer patients undergoing fertility-sparing surgery (FSS). Medical records were evaluated. Menstrual, fertility and clinical outcomes were measured. Of the 44 cases evaluated, 41 (93.18%) were stage I, while 3 (6.82%) had advanced stages. Complete surgical staging was done in 19 (43.18%) patients. All had restoration of menses 1-2 months after surgery with no significant amenorrhea among those given platinum-based chemotherapy. There were 15 successful pregnancies (83.33%). There were only 5 patients (27.78%) with infertility, and 8 (18.18%) cases of tumor persistence/recurrence, all of malignant germ cell tumors without adjuvant chemotherapy. This study confirms FSS as a safe and acceptable treatment for reproductive-age women < 30 years old with no history of infertility, with either stage I epithelial tumors (low malignant potential and frank carcinoma) or malignant germ cell tumors with assured adjuvant chemotherapy.