Objective: To study the clinical characteristics of clear cell carcinoma of the ovary.
Methods: Forty three patients with clear cell carcinoma of the ovary and 51 patients with serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary who were admitted in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between 1984 to 2000 were analyzed retrospectively, and their chemosensitivities and the survival rates were compared.
Results: The percentage of early stage patients in the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary and the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary was 14.4% and 3.8% respectively, the difference was significant (P < 0.005). In the late stage patients who underwent satisfactory cytoreductive surgery, the chemo-resistant rate (88.9%) in the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary was significantly higher than that (57.1%) of the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (P < 0.02), the 1-year survival rate (79.0%) in the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary was significantly lower than that (96.2%) of the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (P < 0.01). In the late stage patients who underwent unsatisfactory cytoreductive surgery, the chemo-resistant rate and the survival rate had no significant difference between the clear cell carcinoma of the ovary and the serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: There are more early stage patients with clear cell carcinoma of the ovary. We should conduct auxiliary therapy and close follow up to them after surgery. Clear cell carcinoma of the ovary is chemo-resistant to platinum-based chemotherapy and has poor prognosis.