Ovarian serous carcinoma in which mediastinal recurrence of the cancer was resected 16 years after surgery: A case report

We report a rare case of ovarian carcinoma in which a mediastinal recurrence was resected 16 years after the initial operation. A 72‐year‐old woman underwent hysterectomy with adnexectomy for stage IIIC ovarian serous carcinoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Six courses of adjuvant chemotherapy were administered. Three years after surgery, left supraclavicular lymph node metastasis occurred, and radiotherapy and two courses of chemotherapy were administered. Six years before presentation, a metastasis at the right cardiophrenic lymph node was resected, and six courses of chemotherapy were administered. During follow‐up, a retrosternal tumour was found. The metastatic lesion in contact with the diaphragm was thought to result from pleuroperitoneal communication, and it increased in size. Although high‐grade serous carcinoma is aggressive, its sensitivity to chemotherapy may suppress early recurrence, contributing to good outcomes, but with late recurrence. Multidisciplinary therapy including surgery is required for improved long‐term prognosis for mediastinal metastasis of ovarian serous carcinoma.