Malignant Ovarian Tumors During Pregnancy: A Multicenter Retrospective Analysis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics and management of malignant ovarian tumors during pregnancy, as well as the feto-maternal outcomes and analyze the influential factors on the pregnancy outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eighty-five patients with ovarian malignancies during pregnancy treated at 12 tertiary hospitals between 2009 and 2019 were analyzed in this study. The clinical features, histopathological characteristics, clinical management, and maternal and perinatal outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical features and managements were compared between abortion group and live birth group. RESULTS: The following diagnoses were made: 41 (48.24%) patients with borderline ovarian tumors, 18 (21.18%) patients with epithelial ovarian cancers, 17 (20.00%) patients with non-epithelial ovarian malignancies and 9 (10.59%) patients with metastatic ovarian tumors. Thirty-six (42.45%) patients underwent conservative surgical treatment. Thirty-four (40.00%) patients opted for fertility-sparing surgery, and fifteen (17.56%) patients received radical surgery. Chemotherapy was administered to 32.94% of the patients. The proportion of ovarian malignancies diagnosed in the first trimester in the abortion group was higher than that in the live birth group (P<0.05). However, tumor diameter, reproductive history, stage and surgical indications showed no significant differences between groups. A total of 67 live babies were recorded in this study, including 19 premature babies and 1 full-term newborn who died of respiratory distress. All of the BOTs were diagnosed with stage I, among whom 38 (92.68%) patients exhibited disease-free survival. Twenty-eight ovarian cancers were in stage I–II and 26 of them had disease-free survival with the longest follow-up time of 10 years. Five of the sixteen patients in advanced stage (stage III–IV) died, four of whom had metastatic tumors. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with early-stage malignant ovarian tumors appear to have favorable outcomes. Conservative surgery is acceptable for early-stage borderline ovarian tumors during pregnancy. The gestational age of ovarian malignancy detection is key for pregnancy outcomes.