Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors Treatment (PDQ®)
[Back to top]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 abnormalcells 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
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
make eggs and female hormones.
Anatomy of the female reproductive system; drawing shows the uterus, myometrium (muscular outer layer of the uterus), endometrium (inner lining of the uterus), ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina.
Possible signs of ovarian low malignant potential tumor include pain or swelling in the abdomen.
Early ovarian low malignant potential tumor may not cause any symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they may include the following:
These symptoms may be caused by other conditions. If the symptoms get worse or do not go away on their own, check with your doctor.
Certain factors affect prognosis
(chance of recovery) and treatment options.
The prognosis (chance of recovery) 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.
Patients with ovarian low malignant potential tumors have a good prognosis, especially when the tumor is found early.
[Back to top]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 abnormalcells 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 for staging. Staging laparotomy (a surgicalincision made in the wall of the
abdomen to remove ovariantissue)
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 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 outside the pelvis to other parts of the abdomen and/or nearby lymph nodes. 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, tumorcells have spread beyond the abdomen to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or tissue inside the liver.
Tumor cells in the fluid around the lungs is also considered stage IV disease.
Ovarian low malignant potential tumors almost never reach stage IV.
[Back to top]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.
[Back to top]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.
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. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
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:
- Unilateral
salpingo-oophorectomy: Surgery to remove one ovary and one fallopian tube.
- Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: Surgery to remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes.
- Total hysterectomy and
bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: Surgery to remove the uterus, cervix, and both ovaries and fallopian tubes. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through the vagina, the operation is called a vaginalhysterectomy. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through a large incision (cut) in the abdomen, the operation is called a total abdominal hysterectomy. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen using a laparoscope, the operation is called a total laparoscopic hysterectomy.
Hysterectomy; drawing shows the female reproductive anatomy, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, fallopian tubes, and cervix. Dotted lines show which organs and tissues are removed in a total hysterectomy, a total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy, and a radical hysterectomy. An inset shows the location of two possible incisions on the abdomen: a low transverse incision is just above the pubic area and a vertical incision is between the navel and the pubic area.
- Partial oophorectomy: Surgery to remove part of one ovary or part of both ovaries.
- Omentectomy:
Surgery to remove the omentum (a piece of the tissue lining the abdominal wall).
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 lower the risk that the tumor will come back, 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 cerebrospinal fluid, 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 clinical trials is available from the
NCI Web site.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the medical research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for disease are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way diseases will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose disease has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop a disease from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials. These have been retrieved from NCI's clinical trials database.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the disease may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. This is sometimes called re-staging.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the disease has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups.
[Back to top]Treatment Options for Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some stages, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.
[Back to top]Early Stage Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (Stage
I and II)
Surgery is the
standard treatment for early
stageovarian 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 ovariantissue
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 U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor and stage II borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
[Back to top]Late Stage Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors (Stage
III and IV)
Treatment for late stageovarian low
malignant potential
tumor may
be hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and
omentectomy. A
lymph node dissection may also be
done.
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor and stage IV borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
[Back to top]Recurrent Ovarian Low Malignant Potential
Tumors
Treatment for recurrentovarian low
malignant potential
tumor may include the following:
Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with recurrent borderline ovarian surface epithelial-stromal tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
[Back to top]To Learn More About Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:
[Back to top]Changes to This Summary (08/17/2012)
The PDQcancer 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.