Objectives To report the characteristics and outcomes of patients presenting ovarian metastases from a breast cancer.

Methods It is a retrospective study reviewing the characteristics of ovarian metastases from a breast cancer diagnosed in 20 years (from 1997 to 2017) at Hôtel-Dieu de France University hospital, a tertiary care center in Lebanon.

Results We reviewed the data of 1137 patients with ovarian tumors. Ovarian metastases from a breast cancer were found in 13 cases. Mean age was 59 years. 46% of patients received CT-scan and only in 15% of cases a PET-CT scan was performed. The mean interval time between the primary diagnosis of breast cancer and the occurrence of ovarian metastasis was 52 months. The most common histologic type found was invasive lobular carcinoma (60% of cases). Extraovarian metastases were found in 69% of cases (9 out 13 patients). The extraovarian metastases concerned the following organs: uterus (3 cases), bone marrow (5 cases), liver (5 cases), lungs (3 cases), brain (3 cases), stomach (1 case), and adrenal gland (2 cases). All cases were treated surgically and received adjuvant chemotherapy. A cytoreductive surgery was performed in five cases. A unilateral or bilateral adnexectomy was done in one and seven cases respectively. Mean survival was 60 months. Recurrence was noted in 46% of cases (6 out 13 patients). Mean time to recurrence was 38 months.

Conclusions Ovarian metastases from a breast cancer occur rarely and are associated with worse prognosis. Despite surgical and adjuvant therapy recurrence rate is very high.