A retrospective study was conducted to investigate the clinical significance of ovarian metastasis in 439 patients with clinical stage I endometrial cancer surgically treated by performing total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Histologic examination revealed that 22 patients (5%) had ovarian metastasis. The maximum diameter of the ovarian metastases ranged from 1 to 100 mm. In 18.2% (4/22) of patients with ovarian metastasis, the maximum diameter was less than 2 mm. Patients with metastasis limited to the ovarian surface showed 100% positive peritoneal cytology, 0% lymph node metastases, and 50% recurrence, while patients with metastasis inside the ovary showed 10% positive peritoneal cytology, 36% lymph node metastases, and 53% recurrence. The prognosis of patients with ovarian metastasis alone was situated midway between that of patients with cancer limited to the uterus and that of patients with lymph node metastasis alone. The lymph node status was of importance to determine the prognosis of patients with ovarian metastasis. The series also suggests that there may be two routes for ovarian metastasis; one is a route via the fallopian tube to the ovarian surface and the other is a route via the lymphatics to the inside of the ovary.
Copyright 1998 Academic Press.