Clinicopathological features and oncological prognosis in ovarian metastasis of the primary origin: a single-center retrospective study

Background: The ovary is a common site of metastasis. The frequency of metastasis and the localization of the primary cancer vary geographically. This study aims to present the clinicopathological features and oncological outcomes of patients with ovarian metastasis of the primary origin (OMPO) who underwent surgery in our clinic. Methods: In this retrospective study, the files of 806 patients who underwent surgery with a preliminary diagnosis of pelvic mass or ovarian cancer between 2012 and 2016 were scanned. Four hundred eighty eight patients with a definite diagnosis of ovarian cancer were included in the study. Results: Seventy-nine patients (16.2%) had OMPO, the second most common cancer type after primary epithelial cancer of the ovary, and 65.8% (n = 52) of OMPOs had non-gynecological primary. Twenty-seven (34.2%) patients had primary endometrial cancer, 18 (22.7%) had colorectal cancer, 16 (20.2%) had gastric cancer and 6 (7.5%) had breast cancer. The most common reasons for admission were abnormal bleeding in 27 patients (34%), abnormal imaging results in 19 patients (24%), pain in 14 patients (18%), and abdominal distension in 10 patients (12%). The mean follow-up was 13.3 ± 13.4 months, and the mortality rate was 43%(n = 34). Gynecological metastatic ovarian cancers were observed at an older age with a higher mortality rate and shorter median survival than non-gynecological metastatic ovarian cancers. Median survival of OMPOs with primary breast, colorectal, gastric and endometrial cancer was 45 months, 46.4 months, 10.1 and 10.0 months, respectively. Conclusions: Ovarian metastases of primary origin are frequently seen and have a very poor prognosis.