Laparoscopic management of women with a family history of ovarian cancer

• Published in: Journal of surgical oncology 1999-09, Vol.72 (1), p.9-13
• Main Authors: Eltabbakh, Gamal H., Piver, M. Steven, Hempling, Ronald E., Recio, Fernando O., Paczos, Tamera
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; BRCA2 Protein; familial ovarian cancer; Feasibility Studies; Female; Female genital diseases; Genes, BRCA1; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hysterectomy - statistics & numerical data; laparoscopy; Laparoscopy - standards; Laparoscopy - statistics & numerical data; Medical History Taking; Medical sciences; Menopause; Middle Aged; Morbidity; Neoplasm Proteins - genetics; Ovarian Neoplasms - genetics; Ovarian Neoplasms - prevention & control; Ovarian Neoplasms - surgery; Ovariectomy - statistics & numerical data; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; prophylactic oophorectomy; Risk Assessment; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the genital tract and mammary gland; Transcription Factors - genetics; Tumors
• ISSN: 0022-4790; 1096-9098
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9098(199909)72:1<9::AID-JSO3>3.0.CO;2-7

Background and Objective The safety of laparoscopic surgery in women with a family history of ovarian cancer predicted to have benign disease has not been established. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and complications of operative laparoscopy and to describe the pathologic findings in this patient population. Methods Sixty‐two consecutive women with a family history of ovarian cancer who elected prophylactic oophorectomy or had predicted benign adnexal disease were offered laparoscopic surgery. Patient characteristics, details of laparoscopic surgery, operative and postoperative complications, and histopathologic findings were recorded. Results Laparoscopy was converted to laparotomy in 2 patients (3.2%); 1 patient (1.6%) had an operative vascular complication, and 1 patient (1.6%) had postoperative bleeding. Median (range) estimated blood loss, operative time, and hospital stay were 50 ml (50–1,500), 120 min (60–290), and 1 day (0–9), respectively. Histopathologic findings included normal ovaries (n = 20), corpus luteum cyst (n = 16), follicular cyst (n = 8), endometriotic cyst (n = 7), serous cystadenoma (n = 5), epithelial hyperplasia (n = 4), dermoid cyst (n = 1), and fibrothecoma (n = 1). Conclusions Laparoscopic surgery is feasible and safe in women with a family history of ovarian cancer predicted to have benign disease and is associated with low blood loss and short hospital stay. Most ovaries removed are either normal or have benign disease. J. Surg. Oncol. 1999;72:9–13. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.