OVULATION SIDE AND OVARIAN-CANCER

Previous reports have suggested a predilection for right-sided ovulati on and that epithelial ovarian cancer arises more commonly in the righ t ovary, thus establishing a possible causal relationship between ovul ation and ovarian cancer. However, evaluation of ovulation patterns in consecutive cycles has produced contradictory results and there are n o reports corroborating a higher incidence of right-sided ovarian canc ers. We reviewed the records of 293 patients with epithelial ovarian c ancer and found no significant difference between the frequency of tum ors in the right and left ovaries. We also prospectively analyzed the side of ovulation in 41 unselected consecutive patients undergoing 156 in vitro fertilization cycles without ovarian stimulation, Follicular development was carefully monitored by daily ultrasonic scan and estr adiol and LH plasma determinations. Eighty-two ovulations (52%) were o n the right (not statistically significant). Thus our results bring in to question previous studies suggesting a link between the side of ovu lation and epithelial ovarian cancer.