Clinical outcomes of women with ovarian metastases of colorectal cancer treated with oophorectomy with respect to their somatic mutation profiles

We clarified the clinical prevalence of ovarian metastases from colorectal cancers (CRCs) in 296 female patients with CRC and evaluated clinical outcomes with relation to their mutational profiles, such as BRAF/KRAS mutation and microsatellite instability (MSI) status. The female CRCs were categorised into three subsets: CRCs with ovarian metastases [6.4% ( n = 19), 5-year overall survival (OS) = 24.7%], CRCs with extra-ovarian metastases only [32.4% ( n = 96), 5-year OS = 34.5%] and CRCs without any recurrence or metastasis [61.2% ( n = 181), 5-year OS = 91.3%]. All patients with ovarian metastases underwent oophorectomy; of these, 9 who received preoperative chemotherapy had measurable metastases to extra-ovarian sites and the ovaries. Although 5 of 9 (56%) achieved partial response or complete response at extra-ovarian sites, no patient archived objective response at ovarian sites. Regarding the mutation profiles, in CRCs with extra-ovarian metastases only, the median survival time (MST) after initial treatments to progression to stage IV or recurrence was 13 [95% confidence interval (CI): 7-16 months] in BRAF-mutant and 34 months (95% CI: 22-58 months) in BRAF wild-type ( P = 0.0033). Although ovarian metastases demonstrated poor response to systemic chemotherapy in CRCs with ovarian metastases, the MST after initial treatments to progression to stage IV or recurrence was 22 (95% CI: 21-25 months) in BRAF-mutant and 38 months (95% CI: 24-42 months) in BRAF wild-type ( P = 0.0398). The outcomes of patients with ovarian metastases could be improved by oophorectomy regardless of their mutation profiles.