Clinical management of borderline tumours of the ovary: results of a multicentre survey of 323 clinics in Germany

• Published in: British journal of cancer Vol. 100; no. 11; pp. 1731 - 1738
• Main Authors: Coumbos, A, Sehouli, J, Chekerov, R, Schaedel, D, Oskay-Oezcelik, G, Lichtenegger, W, Kuehn, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 02.06.2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Biopsy; Cancer Research; Cancer therapies; Chemotherapy; Clinical Study; Combined Modality Therapy; Drug Resistance; Epidemiology; Female; Germany - epidemiology; Gynecology; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Humans; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medical sciences; Molecular Medicine; Neoplasm Staging; Obstetrics; Oncology; Ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - classification; Ovarian Neoplasms - diagnosis; Ovarian Neoplasms - epidemiology; Ovarian Neoplasms - therapy; Prognosis; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tumors; Womens health; Europe; Germany; Berlin Germany; clinical management; multicentre survey; diagnosis; borderline ovarian tumour; therapy; Ovarian diseases; Survey; Cancerology; Clinical management; Treatment; Borderline tumor; Diagnosis; Female genital diseases; Ovarian tumor
• ISSN: 0007-0920; 1532-1827
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6605065

The aim of this survey was to analyse the standard of care in diagnostic, surgery, chemotherapy and aftercare management for patients with borderline tumours of the ovary (BOTs) in Germany. A structured questionnaire comprising different dimensions was sent to all 1114 gynaecological departments. The questionnaire could be returned anonymously. The overall response rate was 29.0% (323 departments). Most departments were on secondary care (71.8%), tertiary care (23.2%) or university hospital (5.0%) level. Most clinicians performed not more than five BOT operations (89.2%) per year. Most departments (93.2%) used in addition to classical bimanual examination and vaginal ultrasound, tumour marker CA-125 detection, CT scan, MRI or PET-CT techniques. Departments in university and tertiary care hospitals performed more often a fresh frozen section (87 vs 64%). In young women, clinicians performed much seldom unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (92%) and only in 53% biopsies of the contralateral ovary. Generally, biopsies of the contralateral ovary were performed in 4–53% of the patients. Chemotherapy was mostly favoured in ‘high-risk’ patients with tumour residual, microinvasion or invasive implants. Thus, a high grade of insecurity in diagnostic and therapy of BOT exists in some gynaecological departments and underlines the need for more educational and study activities.