This report describes the case of a 34-year-old premenopausal woman in whom bilateral huge ovarian metastases were found
immediately after initial surgery for sigmoid colon cancer. Both ovaries had been intact at the time of sigmoidectomy, but
2 months later, she complained of persistent vaginal bleeding, and large bilateral metastases were detected in both ovaries.
Oophorectomy with intraperitoneal chemotherapy proved ineffective and the patient died 3 months later, after a second operation,
from peritoneal dissemination. This case report serves to demonstrate the importance of searching for synchronous or nonsynchronous
metastases to the ovaries after surgery for colon cancer in young women. Consideration should also be given to the feasibility
of performing prophylactic oophorectomy or administering intensive chemotherapy in association with colon resections for carcinoma
for premenopausal women because of the ineffectiveness of these modalities as treatment for metastatic disease.
Key words Colon cancer - Ovarian metastasis - Oophorectomy
Received: February 6, 2001 / Accepted: September 11, 2001