Diseases Treated

Primary Peritoneal Cancer

Papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum is a rare malignancy arising within the cells of the peritoneal cavity. This malignancy is indistinguishable from ovarian cancer under the microscope. It can develop in the absence of ovaries and fallopian tubes. It is unclear where this malignancy stems from. Some investigators feel that this cancer arises from small implants of ovarian tissue left within the abdominal cavity during fetal development. Others believe that the cells of the peritoneal cavity simply undergo change to become more ovarian like. Of clinical significance, papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum may develop years after the removal of tubes and ovaries in patients who have undergone surgery for ovarian cancer prevention.

Women who carry the genetic mutation for the BRCA gene are at dramatically increased risk of developing ovarian, fallopian tube and papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum. Prophylactic surgery may eliminate the risk of developing fallopian tube and ovarian cancer, but cannot eliminate the risk of developing papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum. Unfortunately, this cancer may develop in up to 5 percent of women who have previously undergone prophylactic oophorectomy.

Understanding the development and progression of papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneum is a topic of ongoing research in the gynecologic oncology research laboratories at Dana-Farber, Brigham and Women's, and Harvard Medical School.