A B S T R AC T Objective:Our aim in this study was to investigate the value of lower gastrointestinal system (GIS) endoscopy regarding the detection of colon invasion and its importance in recognizing primary and secondary ovarian cancers in cases clinically prediagnosed as advanced stage ovarian cancers.
Materials and Methods:Records of patients, who were operated due to adnexal mass suspicious for malignancy at our clinic between September 2012 and May 2017, were examined. One hundred thirteen cases of advanced stage (Stage III -IV) malignant adnexal masses were detected.
Results:Cases that underwent laparotomy because of a prediagnosis of malignant adnexal mass (mostly ovarian), and had stage III and IV disease, were compared regarding clinical characteristics and foreseeing bowel resection (51 patients had undergone lower GIS endoscopy, 62 had not). Six of the 51 patients, who underwent endoscopy, were diagnosed with colon involvement during endoscopy while 4 other patients were diagnosed intraoperatively. Among the 62 patients, without preoperative endoscopy, 10 patients underwent intraoperative bowel resection. The mean age of the patients with bowel resection was 57.35±13.53y; the mean age of the remaining patients was 55.8±12.54y. Rectosigmoid region was the most common area of resection (17/20). The positive predictive value of colonoscopy for predicting bowel resection was 100%, while the negative predictive value was 91%.
Conclusion:Bowel resection is a pivotal component of the surgical approach to advanced stage malignant adnexal masses. The detection of tumor spread in lower GIS endoscopy is very important while planning the surgery, dealing with postoperative stoma problems and emotional issues and during the differential diagnosis of metastatic tumors.