Potential harms outweigh benefits of indefinite monitoring of stable adnexal masses.

The management of women with asymptomatic adnexal masses should aim to balance potential benefit with potential harm. While masses with highly worrisome features or other signs of malignancy should be referred for surgery, the vast majority of masses have an indeterminate or benign appearance and are candidates for observation. Evidence supports the use of initial short-term serial ultrasound in distinguishing between benign and malignant masses. However, benefit from prolonged, potentially life-long monitoring of stable masses has not been demonstrated. Since the goal of monitoring an adnexal mass is to observe for worrisome growth or increasing complexity as an indicator of malignancy, if the mass remains stable, the likelihood of malignancy and therefore, the potential benefit of observation wanes with time. The recognition that Type 2 high grade serous cancers, which are responsible for the majority of deaths from ovarian cancer, arise from fallopian tube rather than ovarian precursors, further diminishes the likelihood that monitoring a stable ovarian mass will lead to early diagnosis of high grade disease. While some Type 1 cancers may develop from ovarian precursors, the available data suggest that any measurable benefit of monitoring known lesions for detection of these cancers is realized within the first year of observation. The argument in favor of indefinite, potentially life-long monitoring of stable masses also fails to adequately account for the risks of perpetual imaging, which include the risk of incidental findings, an increased likelihood of unnecessary surgery, patient anxiety and cost. It is not always better to order a test than not order a test. Given the absence of evidence of benefit, observation of stable small adnexal masses should be limited in duration in order to minimize potential harms.

Laparoscopic fertility-sparing staging in unexpected early stage ovarian malignancies.

OBJECTIVE: To assess feasibility and safety of fertility-sparing laparoscopic staging in women affected by unexpected ovarian cancer desiring to preserve their fertility. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: University clinic. PATIENT(S): Twenty-seven patients already operated on elsewhere for a presumably benign ovarian cyst. INTERVENTION(S): Laparoscopic fertility-sparing staging operations. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Perioperative and survival data, reproductive outcome. RESULT(S): Histologic findings after first surgery: 12 low malignant potential neoplasms, 11 invasive epithelial ovarian carcinomas,1 sex-cord stromal, and 3 germ cell neoplasms. Fertility-sparing staging consisted of exploration of the peritoneal cavity, peritoneal washing cytology, multiple peritoneal biopsies, omolateral adnexectomy (except in borderline tumors), omentectomy, omolateral or bilateral pelvic and aortic lymph node sampling (except in borderline tumors, well differentiated, mucinous, and granulosa cell (GC) neoplasms), endometrial biopsy, appendectomy in mucinous type. Overall, seven patients (26%) were upstaged. Six patients received adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. Two term pregnancies occurred. After a median follow-up of 20 months all patients are alive; one patient has FIGO stage Ic clear cell carcinoma, which recurred 8 months after surgery. CONCLUSION(S): Laparoscopic fertility-sparing staging in early ovarian malignancies is feasible and safe in selected and counseled patients and should be performed in experienced gynecological oncology centers trained in endoscopic procedures.

Comparison of satisfaction and pain relief between patients-controlled analgesia and interval analgesia after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy.

Preoperative and postoperative psychological factors, postoperative pain, analgesic consumption, treatment satisfaction were compared in patients treated with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) or intramuscular analgesics after laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy. Thirty-one women with laparoscopically operated benign ovarian cysts were recruited in Zonguldak Karaelmas University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Postoperatively sixteen women received morphine delivered by IV-PCA pump system and 15 women were prescribed another opioid (meperidine) intramuscularly. Two weeks before and one day after the surgery, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were self-administered. Afterwards, the operation visual analog scale (VAS) and satisfaction with pain control scale were recorded. Preoperative BDI and BAI scores of both groups were comparable. Postoperative BDI (7.9 +/- 7.2 versus 13.8 +/- 6.9, P = 0.03) and BAI (11.4 +/- 9.1 versus 17.4 +/- 6.2, P = 0.045) scores were significantly lower in the IV-PCA group. Morphine usage with PCA resulted in significantly higher pain scores than equivalent doses of meperidine administered intramuscularly (2.94 +/- 1.0 versus 1.67 +/- 0.7, P = 0.001). Although higher pain scores were obtained from IV-PCA group, self-reported satisfaction rates were higher in this group (8.3 +/- 1.1 versus 7.4 +/- 1.1, P = 0.04). Involvement of patients in their pain management might increase the awareness of pain but their satisfaction about the control of postoperative pain was significantly improved.