A Clinical Study of 11 Cases of Krukenberg Tumor of the Ovary

Lee, H W; Bae, I C; Park, J H; Park, J S; Han, K S; Bae, K H

Abstract

We reviewed 11 cases of Krukenberg tumors which had been treated at the department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, in the Maryknoll Hospital from January 1988 to December 1997. Eleven Krukenberg tumors among 127 cases of ovarian cancers were found in the hospital records for a 10 year period. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The incidence of Krukenberg tumor was 2.06% among all ovarian tumors (533 cases) and 8.66% among malignant ovarian tumors (127 cases). 2. The age of the patients ranged from 26 to 65 years, and the mean age was 46.5 years. 3. The most common symptom was palpable abdominal mass, followed by abdominal pain with distension, epigastric pain, and other gastrointestinal symptoms. 4. Among 11 cases of Krukenberg tumor, 10 cases had ascites, but the volume of ascites was variable. Bilateral involvement was shown in 6 cases and unilateral involvement in 5 cases. The size of the tumors were variable. The primary sites of these tumors were the stomach in 10 cases and the colon in 1 case. 5. The mean survival period for 11 patients was 7.68 months. (1) The mean survival period of the patients who had been treated with a cisplatin based chemotherapy regimen was 12.9 months, that of the patients who had been treated with a non-cisplantin based regimen was 4 months. (2) The mean survival period of the patients who had total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy was 14.7 months, and the survival period of the patient who had only ovarian biopsy was 2.5 months. (3) When the operation for a primary lesion was performed, the mean survival period was 10.5 months but the mean survival period was 3.4 months without an operation. (4) Nine patients died within 1 year and one patient died after 38 months. One woman is still alive for 11 months. In conclusion, we think that the further evaluation of the ovary is necessary in stomach cancer of the women. In view of this, we conclude that it would seem worthwhile to consider removal of the primary lesioin case of metastatic cancer and furthermore, postoperative cisplantin based combination chemotherapy are necessary.