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Quality of life and sexual function in patients with borderline tumors of the ovary. A substudy of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie (AGO) study group ROBOT study

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Abstract

Purpose

Borderline tumors of the ovary (BOT) represent an entity of ovarian neoplasms with low malignant potential and excellent prognosis. Mainstay of therapy is surgery including adequate staging and complete tumor resection, possibly inducing long-term side effects, especially in premenopausal women. The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and sexual function in patients treated for BOT, also with respect to treatment modalities.

Methods

This prospective study was part of an ambidirectional multicentric cohort study in patients with BOT in Germany. Patients from seven centers completed three questionnaires after completion of therapy. QoL and sexual function data were correlated with treatment characteristics: surgical approach, lymphadenectomy, and fertility sparing surgery.

Results

One hundred ten patients returned the questionnaires. Median follow-up was 4.0 years. The majority lived in a relationship (n = 85, 77 %, missing n = 4), and 49 % (n = 54, missing n = 6) were sexually active. The main reason for sexual inactivity was “no partner” (38 %). The women had a mean global health status of 69.8 (SD 22.7; min 0, max 100), with 100 implying perfect health. Mean QoL score was 73.7 (SD 23.3, range 0 to 100). Both scores showed no difference regarding fertility preserving surgery, surgical approach, and lymphadenectomy. Sexually active women had a significantly higher QoL (78.7 vs. 67.4, p = 0.0156) and global health status (75.9 vs. 60.9, p = 0.0013) than inactive patients.

Conclusions

In this prospective study, patients who had been diagnosed with BOT had a very good quality of life and global health status. Sexually inactive women stated lack of a partner as the main reason and had an inferior HRQoL compared to sexually active women.

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Abbreviations

BOT:

Borderline tumor of the ovary

QoL:

Quality of life

EOC:

Epithelial ovarian cancer

HRQoL:

Health-related quality of life

LNE:

Lymphadenectomy

BSO:

Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy

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Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. A. Allignol, Clinical Trials Unit, Freiburg University Medical Center for the statistical analysis.

Conflict of interest

None of the authors declare any conflict of interest in relation to this project. We have full control of all primary data and agree to allow the journal to review the data if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Hugstetterstr. 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Juliane Farthmann, Annette Hasenburg & Meike Weil

  2. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Virchow Clinic, Charité, Berlin, Germany

    Christina Fotopoulou

  3. Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Horst-Schmidt-Klinik, Wiesbaden, Germany

    Nina Ewald-Riegler, Oya du Bois & Andreas du Bois

  4. Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

    Fabian Trillsch & Sven Mahner

  5. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Halle/Saale, Halle, Germany

    Hans-Georg Strauss

  6. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Dresden, Dresden, Germany

    Pauline Wimberger

  7. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany

    Pauline Wimberger

  8. Coordinating Center for Clinical Trials, University Marburg, Marburg, Germany

    Alexander Reuss

  9. Department of Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology, Kliniken Essen-Mitte, Essen, Germany

    Andreas du Bois

Authors
  1. Juliane Farthmann
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  2. Annette Hasenburg
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  3. Meike Weil
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  4. Christina Fotopoulou
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  5. Nina Ewald-Riegler
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  6. Oya du Bois
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  7. Fabian Trillsch
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  8. Sven Mahner
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  9. Hans-Georg Strauss
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  10. Pauline Wimberger
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  11. Alexander Reuss
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  12. Andreas du Bois
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juliane Farthmann.

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Farthmann, J., Hasenburg, A., Weil, M. et al. Quality of life and sexual function in patients with borderline tumors of the ovary. A substudy of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie (AGO) study group ROBOT study. Support Care Cancer 23, 117–123 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2330-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2330-0

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