Conservative management in young patients with borderline and malignant ovarian tumors: outcomes and pregnancies

Background: recent studies have showed conservative management in selective patients with borderline and malignant ovarian tumors is safe; therefore this management is considered in patients with ovarian tumor who desire to preserve fertility.objective: this study has been performed to evaluate the clinical outcome and fertility in patients with ovarian tumors who were treated conservatively. materials and methods: all patients who were treated conservatively (preservation of uterus and at least one ovary) or were on follow-up and had recurrence were evaluated in vali-e-asr hospital during 2000-2004. results: among 410 patients with ovarian tumors, 60 were treated conservatively. age range was 13-34 years. twenty-six of patients (43.3%) were desired pregnancy and 34 (56%) patients did not. three (5%) patients had history of infertility. histological types oftumors were as follows; 15(25%) borderline tumors, 10(16.7%) epithelial tumors, 26(43.3%) germ cell tumors, and 9(15%) sex cord tumors. range of follow-up time was 12-48 months. seven term pregnancies in 6 patients had been occurred, 1 in epithelial group, 2 in germ cell group, 1 in sex cord group and 3 in borderline group. nine patientshad recurrence and 2 patients expired, including one patient with serous cyst carcinoma (stage iiic).this patient had refused radical surgery and referred to our center with recurrence. another patient had immature teratoma (stage iiic).conclusion: conservative surgical management in young patients with stage i (grade 1, 2) of epithelial ovarian tumor and sex cord-stromal tumor and in patients with borderline and germ cell ovarian tumors could be performed in order to preserve fertility.