Systematic retrospective analysis of 10 cases of neuroendocrine tumors of the ovary: diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

Abstract

Background Neuroendocrine tumors of the ovary are uncommon malignant carcinomas with a poor prognosis. There are no standardized management guidelines because of lack of knowledge about these tumors. The objective of this study is to analyze the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment of ovarian neuroendocrine tumors (ONETs). Results Median age at diagnosis was 38.4 years (range 20–58). The main clinical presentations were abdominal pain or a pelvic mass. Two patients underwent fertility-sparing surgery and the others underwent cytoreductive surgery. The finial diagnosis depended on postoperative histopathology. According to the staging standard of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), three patients had stage I disease, one stage II, and six patients had stage III disease. Eight patients received chemotherapy alone postoperatively, one was maintained with Olaparib after chemotherapy, and one received chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. The follow-up time for patients raged from 10 to 48 months. One patient died, while the other 9 patients were in follow-up. Seven patients experienced tumor recurrence. Conclusion Ovarian neuroendocrine tumors are characterized by high malignancy, low incidence and poor prognosis. Histopathological analysis is considered the gold standard for diagnosis. Surgical resection may be the first choice of therapy, and adjuvant chemotherapy and possible radiotherapy may prolong the survival of some patients.