Management of a rare ovarian carcinosarcoma: A case report and literature review

Ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) is a rare and lethal gynecological cancer. The present study reports on the case of a 61-year-old post-menopausal female with abdominal distension who was detected to have a large OCS. The patient underwent cytoreductive surgery, including sub-extensive hysterectomy, bilateral adnexectomy, sigmoid colon and partial rectal resection, and lymph node dissection. Postoperative pathology of the bilateral adnexal masses revealed carcinosarcoma. The main components of the carcinoma included serous carcinoma and a small amount of squamous cell carcinoma. The sarcoma components mainly contained fibrosarcoma, as well as a small amount of chondrosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Infiltrating cells in cancer tissues or metastasis were observed in the serosal surface, muscular and subserosal layers of the uterus, as well as the sigmoid colon and part of the rectum. The patient was diagnosed postoperatively with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IIIC ovarian carcinosarcoma and T3cN1M0 based on the TNM system. The patient then received six cycles of combination chemotherapy using carboplatin, paclitaxel plus bevacizumab. As severe myelosuppression occurred during and after chemotherapy, and bevacizumab was expensive, bevacizumab therapy was not maintained after chemotherapy. However, following chemotherapy, the patient received niraparib oral maintenance therapy. At 6 months after the sixth chemotherapy, cancer antigen 125 levels dropped to 4.55 U/ml (within normal range). Short-term follow-up of 6 months after the end of chemotherapy indicated that the patient had a remission prognosis based on the ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging examinations and serum tumor marker levels. The present study indicated that combined chemotherapy and targeted therapy after cytoreductive surgery may be a promising way for the treatment of OCS.