PROBLEMATICS OF PROPHYLACTIC OOPHORECTOMY IN COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA

Between 1975 and 1989 we carried out a total of 567 resections of the colon and rectum and performed a uni- or bilateral ovarectomy in 53 (9 .3 %) cases. Histopathological findings in the case of 41 (7.2 %) pati ents were unremarkable whereas 8 cases (1.4 %) revealed metastases of the colorectal cancer. In the case of 4 patients (0.7 %) synchronous o varian cancer occurred. According to the TNM-scheme primary tumors inc luded T2 in 2 cases, T3 in 5 and T4 in 1 of the cases. Reported figure s of ovarian metastases in colorectal cancer vary between 2.0 and 10.3 %, we found 2.1 % in our series. Prophylactic ovarectomy even in prem enopausal patients is indicated if one or both ovaries show pathologic al findings on laparotomy since infiltrative growth of the tumor can b e proved only histologically. In addition we performed bilateral oopho rectomy on postmenopausal women as a method of preventing occurrence o f other ovarian tumors.