Early stage mucinous ovarian cancer: A review

Mucinous ovarian carcinomas (MOCs) are an uncommon subset of epithelial neoplasms, both clinically and molecularly distinct from other ovarian cancers. Pathologic diagnosis proves challenging, and metastatic disease from other sites—especially the digestive tract—must be excluded. Fortunately, most patients are diagnosed at an early stage of disease and often present with large, unilateral adnexal masses. Survival for patients with stage IA disease approaches over 90%, and surgery alone is sufficient. Patients with stage IB-II disease should receive adjuvant treatment but the specific regimen is controversial. In the following review, we provide an overview of mucinous ovarian carcinomas, with a particular focus on the treatment of patients with early stage disease. •Mucinous ovarian carcinoma (MOC) is a distinct clinically and pathologically.•Pathologic confirmation of primary MOC is complex but essential for treatment.•Stage IA MOC can be observed after surgery.•More advanced MOCs are treated with oxaliplatin and carboplatin +/− bevacizumab.