Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of 91 Patients with Seromucinous and Mucinous Borderline Ovarian Tumors: a Comparative Study

To explore the differences in clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis between seromucinous borderline ovarian tumors (SMBOTs) and mucinous borderline ovarian tumors (MBOTs). Ninety-one patients with SMBOTs and MBOTs who underwent surgery at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from July 2006 to January 2015 were included. The median onset age of patients with SMBOTs (29 years, 20–77) was younger than that of patients with MBOTs (37 years, 16–71). SMBOTs were more likely to be exogenous and show bilateral ovarian involvement and had a smaller average tumor size of 10.63 cm, while MBOTs were more prone to endogenous growth and show unilateral involvement and had a larger average tumor size of 18.55 cm ( p < 0.05). Compared with MBOTs, SMBOTs were characterized by the expression of Mullerian differentiation markers ( p < 0.05). Recurrence occurred in 15.8% patients with SMBOT and 9.1% patients with MBOT. One case of SMBOT (2.6%) and one case of MBOT (2.3%) progressed to malignancy during follow-up, but no disease-related death was observed. Age less than 40 years was a risk factor for recurrence, while the effect of fertility-sparing surgery (FSS) on recurrence requires a larger sample size to be validated. The clinical characteristics of SMBOTs and MBOTs are similar but also quite different. High expression of Mullerian differentiation markers in SMBOT may indicate a better response to hormone therapy. Repeated FSS should be performed with caution and fully informed because of the risk of recurrence and progression to malignancy.