Ovarian Tumor Rupture

I have friend who has capulized cancer on both ovaries, a couple spots in uterus and one on stomach (which was removed).  She has been on chemo.  She is only 21 so thinking they are trying not to do hysterectomy because of age.  Now she has had tumor rupture from ovary and uterus.  Dr. called it popping.  She was in hospital on chemo and antibiotics.  My question is what are the odds of cancer cells getting into the blood or lymp nodes and spreading the cancer.  Would a hysterectomy be the answer?  Thanks for any info you can give.

[Annekathryn Goodman, M.D.]

HI There,

removing the uterus will not reduce the chance of spread from an ovarian cancer.
The reason for hysterectomy or removal of the uterus is becasue there is a risk of ueterine cancer in someone who has ovarian cancer and in many situations, an ovarian cancer has spread to involve the uterus.

For a 21 year old, if the uterus looks normal, just the affected ovary and fallopian tube is removed. In addition,very careful staging biopsies of many lymph nodes, the removal of the appendix, the omentum (an apron of fat that is connected to the stomach)  and biopsies of the lining of the abdomen are done. These biopsies will give information about whether the cancer has spread. If these biopsies have not been done, a person has an unstaged cancer. If all the biopsies are negative then this is a stage I cancer and the risk of recurrence is very low.

The  mistake many people make in terminology is to call a cancer stage I when there have not been adequate staging biopsies.

For a 21 year old, after your friend has had her children, the recommendation will be to go back and surgically remove the other tube and ovary and the uterus.

It is unclear whether rupture of a tumor increases the chance of recurrence if all the other biopsies are negative.  We try not to rupture tumors just in case it is important but there is no  data to clearly show that rupture worsens survival.

best wishes

[crystalann10]

A related discussion, tumor on ovarie was started.