Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy as fertility-sparing surgery for borderline ovarian tumors

Background: To investigate recurrence rates and fertility outcomes of patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) treated with fertility-sparing surgery. Methods: This was a retrospective study. All women with BOTs from 2000 to 2006 were evaluated. Clinical outcomes were compared among groups that underwent radical, unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, or ovarian cystectomy. The effects of clinical characteristics on recurrence were analyzed by independent t test, chi-square test, and Cox proportional hazard model. Results: After a mean follow-up period of 56.5 months, all 61 patients were alive. Seven (11.5%) had developed disease recurrence, and all were in the fertility-sparing group. Of these, five were in the cystectomy-only group and two in the unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy group. There was significant difference in tumor recurrence rates between the two groups (hazard ratio: 0.26, 95% confidence interval: 0.11–0.61). Nine pregnancies were achieved in six women, resulting in five deliveries Conclusion: Fertility-sparing surgery is an acceptable and safe option for women with BOTs who wish to preserve fertility. Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy must be considered as the first choice