Optimal cytoreductive surgery is an independent prognostic indicator in stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer with hepatic metastases

Survival Prediction Models for Ovarian Cancer Patients with Lung Metastasis: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on SEER Database

To develop a random forest prediction model for the and short- and long-term survival of ovarian cancer patients with lung metastasis. This retrospective cohort study enrolled primary ovarian cancer patients with lung metastasis from the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) database (2010–2015). All eligible women were randomly divided into the training (n = 1357) and testing set (n = 582). The outcomes were 1-, 3- and 5-year survival. Predictive factors were screened by random forest analysis. The prediction models for predicting the 1-, 3- and 5-year survival were conducted using the training set, and the internal validation was carried out by the testing set. The performance of the models was evaluated with area under the curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV). The subgroups based on the pathological classification further assessed the model’s performance. Totally 1345 patients suffered from death within 5 years. The median follow-up was 7.00 (1.00, 21.00) months. Age at diagnosis, race, marital status, tumor size, tumor grade, TNM stage, brain metastasis, liver metastasis, bone metastasis, etc. were predictors. The AUCs of the prediction model for the 1-, 3-, 5-year survival in the testing set were 0.849 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.820–0.884], 0.789 (95% CI 0.753–0.826) and 0.763 (95% CI 0.723–0.802), respectively. The results of subgroups on different pathological classifications showed that the AUCs of the model were over 0.7. This random forest model performed well predictive ability for the short- and long-term survival of ovarian cancer patients with lung metastasis, which may be beneficial to identify high-risk individuals for intelligent medical services.

Survival Outcomes of Patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics Stage IV Ovarian Cancer: Cytoreduction Still Matters

PURPOSE

There is still no consensus on the therapeutic strategies for patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IV ovarian cancer (OC). We aim to outline the clinical characteristics and optimal therapeutic strategies of patients with FIGO stage IV OC.

METHODS

This single center retrospective study analyzed the clinical features and survival of patients with FIGO stage IV OC that underwent cytoreduction or received at least one course of chemotherapy between January 2014 and December 2020.

RESULTS

One hundred and twenty patients were included. Surgery, especially optimal cytoreduction without residual mass improved the overall survival of patients in surgery group (P = .047, HR .432, 95% CI .181-.987). Secondly, the completion of chemotherapy improved median overall survival of patients either with (53.0 months vs 25.0 months, P < .001, HR 7.015, 95% CI 1.372-35.881) or without cytoreduction (43.0 months vs 6.0 months, P = .006, HR 5.969, 95% CI 1.115-31.952). In patients with FIGO stage IVB, those with only extra-abdominal lymph node metastases had better survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with FIGO stage IV, complete resection of intra-abdominal tumor foci and completion of chemotherapy provided considerable survival benefits to patients with FIGO stage IV OC. Among patients with FIGO stage IVB, those with only extra-abdominal lymph node metastases had a better prognosis.

Surgical Management of Gynecologic Cancers

This article addresses the role of surgery in the management of gynecologic cancers with liver metastases. The authors review the short-term and long-term outcomes of aggressive resection through retrospective and randomized studies. Although the data supporting aggressive resection of liver metastasis are largely retrospective and case based, the randomized control data to address neoadjuvant versus chemotherapy have been widely criticized. Residual disease remains an important predictor for survival in ovarian cancer. If a patient cannot achieve near optimal cytoreduction, radical cytoreductive procedures, such as hepatic resection, should be considered for palliation only.

A Population-Based Study on Liver Metastases in Women With Newly Diagnosed Ovarian Cancer

Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognostic factors and survival of ovarian cancer patients with liver metastases upon initial diagnosis.

Methods: Patients with ovarian cancer liver metastases upon initial diagnosis between 2010 and 2016 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of the presence of liver metastases in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients. Overall survival (OS) was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was conducted to determine the independent prognostic factors for OS.

Results: A total of 1,744 ovarian cancer patients with liver metastases was identified from the SEER database, accounting for 6.7% of the entire ovarian cancer patients. As to the unique distant organ provided by SEER, liver was the most common metastatic site of ovarian cancer (4.65%). Age, race, laterality, histology, pathological grade, extrahepatic sites, stage of tumor were the predictors of the presence with liver metastases revealed by multivariable logistic regression model. Median OS for the patients with liver metastases at initial diagnosis of ovarian cancer was 16.0 months. Multivariate Cox regression model confirmed race, histology, extrahepatic metastatic sites, surgery and marital status were independent prognostic factors for OS.

Conclusion: The study provided population-based estimates of the incidence and prognosis of newly diagnosed ovary cancer patients with liver metastases, which could be potentially used for the risk assessment and individualized treatment.

Video-assisted thoracic surgery in the primary management of advanced ovarian carcinoma with moderate to large pleural effusions: A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Team Ovary Study

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the utility of video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) in defining extent of intrathoracic disease in advanced ovarian carcinoma with moderate-to-large pleural effusions.

METHODS

Beginning in 2001, VATS was performed on all patients with suspected advanced ovarian carcinoma and moderate-to-large pleural effusions, evaluating for macroscopic intrathoracic disease. The algorithm recommended primary debulking surgery (PDS) for ≤1 cm, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT)/interval debulking surgery (IDS) for >1 cm intrathoracic disease. We reviewed records of patients undergoing VATS from 10/01-01/19. Differences between treatment groups were tested using standard statistical techniques.

RESULTS

One-hundred patients met eligibility criteria (median age, 60; median CA-125 level, 1158 U/mL; medium serum albumin, 3.8 g/dL). Macroscopic pleural disease was found in 70 (70%). After VATS, 50 (50%) underwent attempted PDS (PDS group), 50 (50%) received NACT (NACT/IDS group). Forty-seven (94%) underwent IDS. Median overall survival (OS) for the entire cohort (n = 100) was 44.5 months (95% CI: 37.8-51.7). The PDS group had significantly longer survival than the NACT/IDS group [45.8 (95% CI: 40.5-87.8) vs. 37.4 months (95% CI: 33.3-45.2); p = .016]. On multivariable analysis, macroscopic intrathoracic disease (HR 2.18, 95% CI: 1.14-4.18; p = .019) and age ≥ 65 (HR 1.98, 95% CI: 1.16-3.40; p = .013) were independently associated with elevated death risk. Patients with the best outcome had no macroscopic disease at VATS and underwent PDS (median OS, 87.8 months).

CONCLUSIONS

VATS is useful in therapeutic decision-making for PDS vs. NACT/IDS in advanced ovarian cancer with moderate-to-large pleural effusions.

Patients with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer: understanding the determinants of survival

Background

The most appropriate management for patients with stage IV ovarian cancer remains unclear. Our objective was to understand the main determinants associated with survival and to discuss best surgical management.

Methods

Data of 1038 patients with confirmed ovarian cancer treated between 1996 and 2016 were extracted from maintained databases of 7 French referral gynecologic oncology institutions. Patients with stage IV diseases were selected for further analysis. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate the survival distribution. A Cox proportional hazards model including all the parameters statistically significant in univariable analysis, was used to account for the influence of multiple variables.

Results

Two hundred and eight patients met our inclusion criteria: 65 (31.3%) never underwent debulking surgery, 52 (25%) underwent primary debulking surgery (PDS) and 91 (43.8%) neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery (NACT-IDS). Patients not operated had a significantly worse overall survival than patients that underwent PDS or NACT–IDS (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, three factors were independent predictors of survival: upfront surgery (HR 0.32 95% CI 0.14–0.71, p = 0.005), postoperative residual disease = 0 (HR 0.37 95% CI 0.18–0.75, p = 0.006) and association of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel regimen (HR 0.45 95% CI 0.25–0.80, p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Presence of distant metastases should not refrain surgeons from performing radical procedures, whenever the patient is able to tolerate. Maximal surgical efforts should be done to minimize residual disease as it is the main determinant of survival.

F-18 FDG PET/CT metabolic tumor volume predicts overall survival in patients with disseminated epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the prognostic impact of quantitative assessment by maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumour volume (MTV) and tumour lesion glycolysis (TLG) on [F-18] FDG PET/CT for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis from epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS

Thirty-one patients with EOC underwent PET/CT for an early restaging after cytoreductive surgery, having been diagnosed with carcinomatosis (before chemotherapy). The SUVmax, MTV (cm³; 42% threshold) and TLG (g) were registered on residual peritoneal lesions. The patients were followed up 20±12months thereafter. The PET/CT results were compared to overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for the SUVmax did not reveal significant differences in OS (p=0.48). The MTV survival analysis showed a significant higher OS in patients presenting with a higher tumour burden than those with less tumour burden (p=0.01; 26 vs. 14 months), whereas TLG exhibited a similar trend though not significant (p=0.06). Apart from chemo-resistance, the higher the MTV, the better will be the response to chemotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative assessment by MTV rather than by SUVmax and TLG on PET/CT may be helpful for stratifying patients who present with peritoneal carcinomatosis from EOC, in order to implement the appropriate therapeutic regimen.

Surgical management of lung, liver and brain metastases from gynecological cancers: a literature review

Background

The management of patients with recurrent gynecological malignancy is complex, and often contentious. While historically, patients with metastases in the lungs, liver or brain have been treated with palliative intent, surgery is proving to have an increasing role in the management of such patients.

Methods

In this review article, the surgical management of lung, liver and brain metastases from gynecological cancers is examined. A search of the English language literature over the last 25 years was conducted using the Medline and PubMed databases.

Results

The results for management of metastases from the endometrium, ovary and cervix to the lung, brain and liver show that surprisingly good long-term survival results can be achieved for resection of metastases from all three organs. Patient selection is critical, and surgery is often used in conjunction with other treatment modalities.

Conclusions

From this review, it is apparent that surgery should play an increasing role in the management of patients with parenchymal metastases from gynecological cancers. The surgery should ideally be performed in high volume, tertiary centers where there is a committed multi-disciplinary team with the necessary infrastructure to achieve the best possible outcomes in terms of both survival and morbidity.

Management of epithelial ovarian cancer from diagnosis to restaging: an overview of the role of imaging techniques with particular regard to the contribution of 18F-FDG PET/CT

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is a major form of cancer affecting women in the western world. The silent nature of this disease results in late presentation at an advanced stage in many patients. It is therefore important to assess the role of imaging techniques in the management of these patients. This article presents a review of the literature on the role of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT in the different stages of management of epithelial ovarian cancer. Moreover, a comparison with other imaging techniques has been made and the relationship between (18)F-PET/CT and the assay of serum CA-125 levels has been discussed.

Evolution of surgical treatment paradigms for advanced-stage ovarian cancer: redefining 'optimal' residual disease

Over the past 40 years, the survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer has greatly improved due to the introduction of combination chemotherapy with platinum and paclitaxel as standard front-line treatment and the progressive incorporation of increasing degrees of maximal cytoreductive surgery. The designation of "optimal" surgical cytoreduction has evolved from residual disease ≤ 1 cm to no gross residual disease. There is a growing body of evidence that patients with no gross residual disease have better survival than those with optimal but visible residual disease. In order to achieve this, more radical cytoreductive procedures such as radical pelvic resection and extensive upper abdominal procedures are increasingly performed. However, some investigators still suggest that tumor biology is a major determinant in survival and that optimal surgery cannot fully compensate for tumor biology. The aim of this review is to outline the theoretical rationale and historical evolution of primary cytoreductive surgery, to re-evaluate the preferred surgical objective and procedures commonly required to achieve optimal cytoreduction in the platinum/taxane era based on contemporary evidence, and to redefine the concept of "optimal" residual disease within the context of future surgical developments and analysis of treatment outcomes.

Preoperative [F]FDG PET/CT predicts recurrence in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether [(18)F]FDG uptake on PET/CT imaging before surgical staging has prognostic significance in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS

Patients with EOC were imaged with integrated PET/CT before surgical staging. Hypermetabolic lesions were measured as the standardized uptake value (SUV) in primary and metastatic tumors. SUV distribution was divided into two regions at the level of umbilicus, and the impact of the ratio between above and below umbilicus (SUV(location) ratio) on progression-free survival (PFS) was examined using Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

Between January 2004 and December 2009, 55 patients with EOC underwent preoperative PET/CT. The median duration of PFS was 11 months (range, 3 to 43 months), and twenty (36.4%) patients experienced recurrence. In univariate analysis, high SUV(location) ratio (p=0.002; hazard ratio [HR], 1.974; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.286 to 3.031) was significantly associated with recurrence. Malignant mixed mullerian tumor compared with endometrioid histology was also shown to have significance. In multivariate analysis, high SUV(location) ratio (p=0.005; HR, 2.418; 95% CI, 1.1315 to 4.447) and histology (serous, mucinous, and malignant mixed mullerian tumor compared with endometrioid type) were significantly associated with recurrence. Patients were categorized into two groups according to SUV(location) ratio (<0.3934 vs. ≥0.3934), and the Kaplan-Meier survival graph showed a significant difference in PFS between the groups (p=0.0021; HR, 9.47, log-rank test).

CONCLUSION

SUV distribution showed a significant association with recurrence in patients with EOC, and may be a useful predictor of recurrence.

FDG-PET/CT in advanced ovarian cancer staging: value and pitfalls in detecting lesions in different abdominal and pelvic quadrants compared with laparoscopy

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

Ovarian carcinoma (OC) is a common cancer in the Western Countries, and an important cause of death in patients suffering with gynaecologic malignancies. The majority of patients present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Treatment with debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy is the standard approach while chemotherapy is contemplated when surgery is not possible. A correct pre-operative staging is important to ensure a most appropriate management. Laparoscopy (LPS) is the standard diagnostic tool for the assessment of intraperitoneal infiltration but is invasive and requires general anaesthesia. FDG-PET/CT is increasingly used for staging different types of cancer, and the aim of this study is to assess the value of FDG-PET/CT in staging advanced OC and its sensitivity to detect lesions in different quadrants of the abdominal-pelvic area compared to laparoscopy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

From September 2004 till April 2008, 40 patients with high suspicion of OC were referred to our hospital for diagnostic LPS to explore the possibility of optimal debulking surgery. Those who were not suitable for surgery were referred for chemotherapy. Before chemotherapy, the patients underwent an FDG-PET/CT scan. The findings in 9 quadrants of abdominal-pelvic area (total 360 quadrants) for PET/CT and LPS were recorded and compared.

RESULTS

In 14/360 areas (3.8%), surgical evaluation was not possible because of presence of adhesions, thus the number of areas explored by laparoscopy was 346. Tumour was found in 308 quadrants (38 quadrants free of disease). PET/CT was positive in all 40 patients with true negative results in 26/346 quadrants (7.5%), and true positives results in 243/346 quadrants (70.2%). False positive and negative PET/CT results were found in 12/346 and 65/346 quadrants, respectively. False positive PET/CT findings were evenly present in all quadrants. False negative PET/CT findings were present in 31/109 (28.4%) upper abdominal quadrants (epigastrium and diaphragmatic areas). Final analysis showed a sensitivity and specificity for PET/TC of 78.9 and 68.4% respectively with a positive predictive value of 95.3%. A significant difference was noted between mean SUVmax associated with lesions smaller or larger than 0.5 cm (p=0.006).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that PET/CT may prove a useful tool for pre-surgical staging of ovarian cancer with a sensitivity and specificity of 78 and 68%, respectively. However, it may be used in combination with laparoscopy for better results. PET/CT showed an adequate correlation between SUVmax values and laparoscopy findings of lesions>5mm, but a high rate of false negative results in lesions<5mm such as in carcinomatosis. PET/CT should be used carefully in early stage disease, with low risk of peritoneal infiltration, because of high rate of false positive results, to avoid unnecessary therapy procedures.

Diaphragmatic surgery during primary debulking in 89 patients with stage IIIB-IV epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to describe the role of diaphragmatic surgery in achieving optimal debulking in patients with advanced ovarian cancer and the assessment of the relative post-operative complications.

METHODS

Retrospective review was performed of medical records of 89 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent diaphragmatic surgery during their primary debulking surgery between September 1993 and December 2007. Four different approaches were performed: coagulation (group 1), stripping (group 2), combination stripping with coagulation (group 3) and diaphragm full thickness resection (group 4). Cytoreductive outcome, morbidity, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analysed.

RESULTS

Eight (8.9%) patients had FIGO stage IIIB, 64 (72%) stage IIIC and 17 (19.1%) stage IV disease. In 20 patients (22%) the diaphragmatic disease was coagulated, in 31 patients (35%) was only stripped, in 31 patients (35%) a combination of these techniques was applied and in 7 (8%) the disease was resected with the adjacent infiltrated part of the diaphragm muscle and the pleura above it. Debulking to no residual tumor was achieved in 90%, 86%, 86% and 100% for groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. Median DFS was 15, 15, 17 and overall survival OS for groups 1, 2, and 3 was 40, 42, and 50 months respectively and was not yet reached for group 4. Minor and major complications were comparable among the groups. Pleural effusion was the most frequent associated complication and chest tube placement (17%) or thoracocentesis (12%) was necessary for the relief of respiratory distress. The perioperative mortality rate was 0%. The majority of cases were treated in the last five years of our 15-year experience.

CONCLUSIONS

Diaphragmatic surgery increases the rates of optimal primary debulking surgery and improves survival with an acceptable and manageable morbidity rate. In patients with thick (>0.3 cm) or large (>4 cm) lesions stripping the diaphragm or full thickness resection of the diaphragmatic muscle is preferred.

Intra-abdominal tumor dissemination pattern and surgical outcome in 214 patients with primary ovarian cancer

INTRODUCTION

We performed a systematic evaluation of tumor pattern and surgical outcome in 214 consecutive patients with primary ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Based on the surgical and histological reports we retrospectively analyzed tumor localizations, surgical and clinical outcome. Cox-regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of complete tumor resection and mortality.

RESULTS

Median age was 57.7 years (range: 20-88). FIGO-stage-I was classified in 8.4% and IV in 16.4% of all patients. The peritoneum was the structure most affected (76%) followed by the colon (52%) and diaphragm (44%). Upper abdominal tumor involvement was associated with a significantly higher rate of lymph node metastasis and a significantly lower rate of complete surgical tumor resection, when compared to patients with tumor limited to the lower abdomen. Median overall survival was 56; 61 and 27 months for patients with tumor load in the upper, lower and whole abdomen respectively (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The intraoperative tumor dissemination pattern and the post-operative tumor residuals are decisive for the prognosis in primary ovarian cancer. There is an urgent need to use a systematic and standardized tumor documentation protocols to define the predictive and prognostic role of specific tumor pattern and to compare the surgical outcomes of different tumor centers.

Management of women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancers in the United States. Initial management is reviewed here and is best provided by a multidisciplinary team, including a gynecologic oncologist and a medical oncologist. Typically these patients are first treated with aggressive surgical debulking, followed by chemotherapy. Exceptions to this strategy, including those for patients adequately treated with surgery alone and those better served by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), are discussed. The history and rationale of current chemotherapy regimens, both intravenous (IV) and intraperitoneal (IP), are reviewed. Given the chemo-sensitive nature of this disease, as well as the fact that it remains largely incurable in advanced stages, efforts continue to be made to improve initial therapy. This disease represents an excellent target for new drug development, and some of the newer agents in trials for ovarian cancer are discussed.

Prognostic factors for patients with stage IV epithelial ovarian cancer receiving intraperitoneal chemotherapy after second-look assessment: results of long-term follow-up

BACKGROUND

The aim was to determine the long-term outcome for patients with FIGO stage IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) treated with intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy after second-look assessment.

METHODS

By using data from a retrospective cohort of 433 patients who received IP therapy after second-look assessment after primary surgery and initial systemic therapy for EOC between 1984 and 1998 at our institution, all FIGO stage IIIC and IV patients were identified. Standard statistical methods were used.

RESULTS

Overall, 297 patients met study criteria (246 stage IIIC; 51 stage IV). The median survival for patients with stage IV disease was 34 months compared with 42 months for patients with stage IIIC disease (P=.02). The only significant predictor of overall survival in patients with stage IV disease was the presence of gross residual disease at initiation of IP therapy (P=.027). When comparing stage IV patients with and without pleural effusions to all stage IIIC patients, there was a significant trend toward improved survival in the patients with pleural effusions only compared with other stage IV patients (P=.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Prolonged overall survival was observed in patients with no gross residual disease at the time of IP chemotherapy initiation. When compared with similarly treated stage IIIC patients, stage IV patients with malignant pleural effusions appear to have a better outcome than those with other sites of metastasis. Future prospective trials should evaluate the use of IP therapy for patients with stage IV EOC by virtue of malignant pleural effusions only who responded to initial systemic therapy.

Timing of debulking surgery in advanced ovarian cancer

It is clear that primary debulking remains the standard of care within the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer (FIGO stage III and IV). This debulking surgery should be performed by a gynecological oncologist without any residual tumor load, or so-called "optimal debulking." Over the last decades, interest in the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy together with an interval debulking has increased. Neoadjuvant therapy can be used for patients who are primarily suboptimally debulked due to an extensive tumor load. In this situation, based on the randomized European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Gynaecological Cancer Group trial, interval debulking by an experienced surgeon improves survival in some patients who did not undergo optimal primary debulking surgery. Based on the GOG 152 data, interval debulking surgery does not seem to be indicated in patients who underwent primarily a maximal surgical effort by a gynecological oncologist. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can also be used as an alternative to primary debulking. In retrospective analyses, neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery does not seem to worsen prognosis compared to primary debulking surgery followed by chemotherapy. However, we will have to wait for the results of future randomized trials to know whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery is a good alternative to primary debulking surgery in stage IIIc and IV patients. Open laparoscopy is probably the most valuable tool for evaluating the operability primarily or at the time of interval debulking surgery.

Multivisceral cytoreductive surgery in FIGO stages IIIC and IV epithelial ovarian cancer: Results and 5-year follow-up

OBJECTIVE

The present study reviews our 5-year results with extensive, multivisceral cytoreduction in patients with FIGO stages IIIC and IV ovarian cancer.

METHODS

During the five-year period from January 1995 to December 1999, 101 patients with primary epithelial ovarian cancer FIGO stages IIIC and IV had extensive multivisceral cytoreductive surgery at our department. Patients' history, surgery data, staging, recurrence and survival data were abstracted from the patients' records.

RESULTS

Eighty-four (83%) patients had no gross residual disease after the complete surgical procedure. Mean follow-up was 46 months (range, 1-130). Eight patients died within 6 months postoperatively. Seventy-six of our one hundred one patients (75%) had disease progression or recurrence after a mean of 28 months (range, 4-110). Seventeen (17%) patients are alive without disease. Median survival was 47 months and five-year survival was 33% for all 101 patients.

CONCLUSION

This series indicates that in the majority of patients with advanced ovarian cancer, primary surgery can lead to complete gross cytoreduction with substantial subsequent rates of disease-free and overall survival.

Role of surgery in ovarian carcinoma

Surgery plays a critical role in the optimal management of all stages of ovarian carcinoma. In apparent early-stage ovarian cancer, a comprehensive surgical evaluation allows stratification of patients into low- and high-risk categories. Low-risk patients may be candidates for fertility-sparing surgery and can safely avoid chemotherapy and be observed. Treatment of patients with high-risk early- or advanced-stage ovarian cancer usually requires a combined modality approach. Although it is well known that epithelial ovarian cancer is moderately chemosensitive, what distinguishes it most from other metastatic solid tumors is that surgical cytoreduction of tumor volume is highly correlated with prolongation of patient survival. Procedures such as radical pelvic surgery, bowel resection, and aggressive upper abdominal surgery are commonly required to achieve optimal cytoreduction. Women who develop recurrent disease may be eligible for a secondary cytoreductive surgery or may require a surgical intervention to palliate disease-related symptoms. For women at high risk of ovarian cancer, prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy significantly reduces the incidence of this disease. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the surgical management of ovarian carcinoma. The roles of primary, interval, and secondary cytoreductive surgeries; second-look procedures; and palliative surgery are reviewed. The indications for fertility-sparing and minimally invasive surgery as well as the current guidelines for prophylactic surgery in high-risk mutation carriers are also discussed.

The effect of epithelial and stromal tumor components on FIGO stages III and IV ovarian carcinosarcomas treated with primary surgery and chemotherapy

The aim of this study is to assess the effect of epithelial and stromal tumor components on survival outcomes in FIGO stage III or IV ovarian carcinosarcomas (OCS) treated with primary surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy at the Northern Gynaecological Oncology Centre (NGOC), Gateshead. Women were identified from the histopathology/NGOC databases. Age, FIGO stage, details of histology, treatment, and overall survival were recorded. Of 34 cases (1994-2006, all FIGO stages), 17 were treated with primary surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy for FIGO stage III or IV. The median age was 66 years (52-85 years). Cytoreduction was optimal (n= 9) or complete (n= 1) in 10/17 (59%) cases. Epithelial predominant (EP) or stromal predominant (SP) tumor (defined as >50% of either component in the primary tumor) was noted in 12 and 5 cases, respectively. Epithelial types included serous (n= 9), endometrioid (n= 5), and mixed types (n= 3). Twelve women have died of disease. The median overall survival was 11.0 months (3-74 months). On univariate analysis, survival was not affected by optimal/suboptimal debulking, platinum/doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy, or homologous/heterologous stromal components. Stromal components (>25%) adversely affected survival (P= 0.02), and there was a trend to worse survival with serous compared with nonserous epithelial components (P= 0.07). Cox regression (multivariate analysis) showed that SP tumors (P= 0.04), suboptimal debulking (P= 0.01), age (P= 0.01), and tumors with serous epithelial component (P= 0.05) were adverse independent prognostic factors. Type of chemotherapy and homologous/heterologous components (P= 0.24) did not affect overall survival. In conclusion, our study suggests that SP-OCS have a worse survival outcome than EP tumors. Tumors with serous epithelial components adversely affected the survival compared with nonserous components. Larger studies are required to confirm these effects and to identify the optimum chemotherapy regimen for OCS.

Surgical therapy for testicular cancer metastatic to the liver

In recent years improved cure rates have been achieved for testicular cancer. A better understanding of the biology of subtypes of testicular cancer and the introduction of surgical intervention has contributed greatly to how we currently approach a young man with testicular cancer. We describe here experience at our institution of the treatment, results and prognostic factors for testicular cancer metastases to the liver. Careful diagnostic work-up and planning of the therapy are required, in cooperation with an experienced team.

Hepatic resection for metachronous metastases from ovarian carcinoma

Recently, several authors have reported that optimal primary cytoreduction of both hepatic and extrahepatic disease is not only feasible but improves survival. However, the role of hepatic resection in combination with secondary cytoreduction for epithelial ovarian cancer is unclear. Patients with recurrent ovarian cancer and metachronous intrahepatic metastases are often evaluated by a multidisciplinary team at the Mayo Clinic comprising pelvic and hepatobiliary surgeons for consideration of cytoreductive surgery. The purpose of this report is to update the outcome of cytoreductive surgery including hepatic resection for patients with metastatic ovarian carcinoma.

Major hepatectomy and right hemicolectomy at the time of primary cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer: report of a case

Major liver involvement at the time of diagnosis is a rare event in patients with ovarian cancer, and the issue of major hepatectomy at the time of primary cytoreductive surgery is controversial. A 61-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with nonspecific abdominal pain of 2-month duration and weight loss of 5 kg during the last semester. A computed tomography scan demonstrated bilateral ovarian masses, extending to the right iliac fossa, pressing the cecum-ascending colon. In the liver parenchyma, three cystic lesions were found of about 6-cm maximum diameter each, along with pelvic lymphadenopathy. There was no ascites. The diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer was clinically suspected; the patient underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, right hemicolectomy, omentectomy, left lobectomy, deroofing, and draining of the cystic formation of the right liver lobe along with systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. Systemic chemotherapy (six cycles of paclitaxel/carboplatin) was subsequently administered, and after 15 months of follow-up period, the patient is still in first remission and alive. Ovarian cancer with concomitant extensive right colon infiltration and hematogenous liver metastases can be successfully managed with aggressive surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy in carefully selected patients.

Ovarian cancer surgical resectability: relative impact of disease, patient status, and surgeon

OBJECTIVES

Currently, we are unable to predict which patients are most likely to undergo successful debulking of ovarian cancer. We investigated the impact of clinical and surgical-pathologic factors at the time of initial exploration on the ability to achieve optimal cytoreduction.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer operated at Mayo Clinic between 1994 and 1998 were included. The following pre- and intraoperative factors were included as dichotomous variables: age, ASA, CA125, ascites volume, carcinomatosis, diaphragm and mesentery involvement, and tendency of the operating surgeon (defined by the performance of radical procedures in more vs. less than 50% of patients operated). Pearson chi(2) test and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

ASA, ascites, carcinomatosis, diaphragmatic tumor, mesentery involvement, and surgeon tendency all significantly correlated with residual disease (RD) in univariate analysis. However, only ASA, carcinomatosis and surgeon were independently associated with optimal RD. The subset of patients having ASA 3 or 4 and carcinomatosis comprised a high-risk group with just 46% achieving optimal RD overall. Even within this high-risk group, the rate of optimal cytoreduction ranged from 67% to 42% dependent upon surgeon tendency to employ radical procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

High-risk factors such as patient condition and extent of disease impact the ability to achieve optimal RD. However, this is greatly influenced by surgical effort. Models to predict optimal surgical outcomes based only on tumor and patient characteristics will be highly practice-dependent: thus, their utility in selecting patient for non-traditional primary approach to ovarian cancer must be looked at cautiously.

The clinical significance of malignant pleural effusions in patients with optimally debulked ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of malignant pleural effusions on survival in patients with optimally debulked, advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

METHODS

The authors conducted a retrospective review of all patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma who underwent optimal primary cytoreduction at their institution between January 1987 and August 2000. Survival rates were compared between patients with optimally debulked Stage IIIC epithelial ovarian carcinoma and patients with optimally debulked Stage IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma (according to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] staging system) based on cytology-proven malignant pleural effusions.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine patients were identified, and 97 of those patients were evaluable. The group with Stage IIIC disease included 76 patients, and the group with Stage IV disease included 21 patients. The median age at diagnosis was 55 years (range, 26-88 years). The majority of patients received platinum-based chemotherapy after undergoing optimal primary cytoreduction. Age, tumor grade and histology, and the percentage of patients with ascites were similar in the two groups. The median survival rate was 58 months for patients who had Stage IIIC disease and 30 months for patients who had Stage IV disease (P = 0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

Although both groups underwent optimal cytoreduction in the abdomen/pelvis and were treated in a similar fashion, the median survival rate of patients with malignant pleural effusions was significantly shorter than the survival of patients without effusions. Many factors that led to or were manifested by pleural effusions, such as undetected bulky residual intrathoracic disease, may have been the cause for this survival difference. In the patients with effusions, one or more of these contributing factors may have led to the observed decreased survival rate, warranting further investigation.

Chirurgie initiale ou d'intervalle dans les cancers de l'ovaire de stade avancé ? État de la question en 2004 et critères de sélection des patientes

The management of advanced stage ovarian cancer has been deeply modified over the last few years. In patients with massive peritoneal spread, the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, followed by interval surgery, reduces the morbidity of radical surgery with an improvement of the quality of life. Nevertheless, results of ongoing randomized studies should be waited before stating about the results on survival of such management compared to initial debulking surgery. Waiting such results, the standard treatment of advanced stage ovarian cancer in 2005 remains initial surgery, performed in order to obtain ideally a total resection of all macroscopic diseases, and followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. However, in patients with massive spread, interval debulking surgery is becoming an interesting option, and will perhaps become a standard management. But criteria to select patients between initial and interval debulking surgery should be clearly defined. Those different points will be studied in this paper.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

Primary radical tumor debulking followed by platinum/taxane-based chemotherapy is considered standard for advanced stage ovarian carcinomas. The extent of postoperative residual disease is the most important prognostic factor. However, complete tumor resection is achieved in only 40-50% of advanced ovarian cancers. For the remaining patients, who have an unfavorable prognosis, the concept of neoadjuvant or primary chemotherapy followed by interval laparotomy has emerged. Two different strategies are pursued. One is to administer several courses of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in order to downstage the tumor prior to primary debulking surgery. The other is to administer chemotherapy after suboptimal debulking surgery to optimize cytoreduction during interval laparotomy. Numerous retrospective studies demonstrated that neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by primary debulking surgery is a feasible and safe approach. It is becoming increasingly evident that the selection of appropriate patients is crucial. Some studies demonstrated that the volume of ascites proved to be an easily measurable biomarker that allowed prediction of tumor resectability. However, further investigations are needed to better define patients who will benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Despite promising results, neoadjuvant chemotherapy must still be considered experimental. Therefore, the potential advantages of neoadjuvant chemotherapy need to be confirmed in prospective randomized studies.

The influence of splenic metastases on survival in FIGO stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer

The purposes of this study were to compare the survival of ovarian cancer patients with splenic metastasis to patients without it and to evaluate the complications of the procedure. A retrospective study was performed on 34 patients with ovarian cancer who underwent splenectomy for initial cytoreduction at gynecologic oncology unit of Hacettepe University Hospitals between 1989 and 2001. All patients had FIGO stage IIIC disease and were left with <1 cm residual tumor after surgery. Eighteen patients (52.9%) had splenic metastasis. Patients with splenic metastasis tended poorer survival. Median survivals were 28.9 and 41.3 months for patients with splenic disease and for patients without it, respectively (P > 0.05). Univariate analysis revealed that performance status and histologic type influenced survival. Histologic type and performance status were identified as independent risk factors by multivariate analysis. Postoperative complications were developed in ten (29.4%) patients and three of these (8.8%) died in 1 month after operation. None of the complications was attributed directly to the splenectomy procedure. Complete surgical cytoreduction confers a survival benefit whether the parenchyma was involved or not. The splenectomy should be considered with its acceptable morbidity in selected patients who have a chance to achieve optimal debulking.

The role of interval debulking surgery in ovarian cancer

The mainstay of treatment for advanced ovarian cancer is the multimodality approach of debulking surgery and paclitaxel--platinum chemotherapy. The size of residual lesions after primary surgery remains the most important prognostic factor for survival. Optimal primary debulking surgery can be performed in approximately 40% of patients and up to 80% if it is done by gynecologic oncologists, but sometimes at the cost of considerable morbidity and even mortality. Based on a trial conducted by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, optimal as well as suboptimal interval debulking surgery increases overall (P=0.0032) and progression-free survival (P=0.0055). However, not all patients who have undergone suboptimal primary debulking surgery seem to benefit from interval debulking surgery. Preliminary data from the Gynecologic Oncology Group interval debulking study (GOG-152) indicate that, if the gynecologic oncologist makes a maximal effort to resect the tumor, patients who have undergone suboptimal debulking surgery probably gain little benefit from interval debulking surgery.

Surgical advances in the treatment of ovarian cancer

Surgical intervention remains a key component in the diagnosis and management of epithelial ovarian carcinomas. Although the parameters defining "optimal" tumor cytoreduction continue to evolve, data validate the concept of complete operative tumor resection to no visible residual disease in all stages of ovarian cancer to prolong disease-free and overall survival. In select patients, recurrent disease also may be managed with surgical cytoreduction. At the other end of the spectrum, prophylactic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy has been shown conclusively to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer in women at high risk. Although BRCA1-associated and BRCA2-associated gynecologic cancer syndromes do not seem to include uterine malignancies, the role of hysterectomy to remove the fallopian tube completely is controversial. Finally, new data support the concept of conservative, fertility-sparing surgery in a select group of women with early-stage disease. Although laparoscopy may be feasible in staging women with disease apparently limited to an ovary, further studies are necessary before it can be considered routinely as an alternative to standard laparotomy.

Future directions in the surgical management of ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

The surgical management of ovarian cancer is surrounded by controversy. This review summarizes our current understanding of these issues with the goal of improving survival, enhancing quality of life, and containing costs.

METHODS

Six currently unresolved issues are addressed through a review of the existing literature: (1) the extent of surgery indicated in the primary surgical management of advanced-stage disease, (2) the prognostic features of ovarian cancer, (3) the role of interval debulking following neoadjuvant chemotherapy, (4) the role of fertility-sparing surgery, (5) the role of "second-look" surgery, and (6) the role of secondary tumor debulking.

RESULTS

The criteria for justifying extraordinary measures to reduce the tumor burden in patients with advanced disease to an "optimal" state have not been established. Likewise, the factors that influence prognosis and treatment are not well defined or understood. Interval debulking following neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a promising approach to the management of advanced-stage disease, but no clinical trials have been conducted comparing it to primary surgery followed by chemotherapy. Fertility-sparing surgery may be appropriate even for women with frankly malignant epithelial cancers when disease is confined to one ovary. No convincing data are available showing that second-look surgery improves the chances for cure or prolongs survival. Finally, few data show a benefit from secondary tumor resection in patients who progress while undergoing first-line chemotherapy or have a recurrence soon afterward.

CONCLUSIONS

Controlled clinical trials are needed to guide clinicians in making appropriate management decisions for their patients.

Safety and efficacy of low anterior en bloc resection as part of cytoreductive surgery for patients with ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To examine the feasibility and safety of a low anterior resection of the rectosigmoid plus adjacent pelvic tumour as part of primary cytoreduction for ovarian cancer.

METHODS

This study included 65 consecutive patients with primary ovarian cancer who had debulking surgery from 1996 through 2000. All patients underwent an en bloc resection of ovarian cancer and a rectosigmoid resection followed by an end-to-end anastomosis. Parameters for safety and efficacy were considered as primary statistical endpoints for the aim of this analysis.

RESULTS

Postoperative residual tumour was nil, <1 cm, and >1 cm in 14, 34, and 14 patients, respectively. The median postoperative hospital stay was 11 days (range, 6 to 50 days). Intraoperative complications included an injury to the urinary bladder in one patient. Postoperative complications included wound complications (n = 14, 21.5%), septicemia (n = 9, 13.8%), cardiac complications (n = 7, 10.8%), thromboembolic complications (n = 5, 7.7%), ileus (n = 2, 3.1%), anastomotic leak (n = 2, 3.1%), and fistula (n = 1, 1.5%). Reasons for a reoperation during the same admission included repair of an anastomotic leak (n = 1), postoperative hemorrhage (n = 1), and wound debridement (n = 1). Wound complications, septicemia, and anastomotic leak formation were more frequent in patients who had a serum albumin level of < or =30 g/L preoperatively. There was one surgically related mortality in a patient who died from a cerebral vascular accident 2 days postoperatively.

CONCLUSIONS

An en bloc resection as part of primary cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer is effective and its morbidity is acceptably low.

Cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer

Cytoreductive surgery is a crucial component of the management of cancer of the ovary. Surgical cytoreduction of ovarian cancer volume has been associated with an increase in survival in all settings in which it has been studied. This association seems strongest, and the benefits of aggressive surgery are generally greatest, in patients with chemosensitive disease. Effective surgical management of ovarian cancer, therefore, requires competence in surgical anatomy and cytoreductive techniques and a thorough understanding of the patient's disease status and therapeutic goals.

Advanced ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer spreads early in the disease into the abdomen. An en bloc resection of the tumor, according to surgical principle, is not possible in patients with high-stage ovarian cancer. At surgery, large pelvic tumor lesions are found together with multiple tumor lesions involving the omentum, bowel, and mesentery together with a diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis and diaphragmatic involvement. A multimodality approach with cytoreductive surgery and taxol platinum-based chemotherapy is therefore the mainstay of treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. The size of residual disease after surgery is one of the most important prognostic factors for survival. Patients with an optimal tumor cytoreduction (residual lesions smaller than 1 cm) have a significant longer survival (almost two times the median survival) than patients with larger residual lesions. This holds true even for patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IV disease. Patients in whom all macroscopic tumor is resected do have the longest survival. The 2-year survival of patients with a radical resection of all macroscopic tumors is 80%, in contrast to less than 22% for the patients with lesions larger than 2 cm. An optimal primary cytoreductive surgery can generally be performed in 30% to 50% of patients. Only in more experienced gynecologic oncology centers is the percentage as high as 85%, but sometimes at the cost of an increased morbidity and even mortality. The worse prognosis of the patients with a suboptimal primary cytoreductive surgery can be improved by an interval cytoreductive surgery after platinum-containing induction chemotherapy. The median survival and progression-free survivals are significantly lengthened by cytoreductive surgery. After more than 5-years follow-up there is still a significant survival benefit: the 5-year survival of the surgery patients was 24% versus 13% for the no-surgery patients (P = 0.0032). All patients, including those with unfavorable prognostic factors (stage IV disease, peritonitis carcinomatosis, or ascites at primary surgery), and even patients with stable disease after induction chemotherapy, seem to benefit from interval cytoreductive surgery. The increase in progression-free survival and overall survival does outweigh the morbidity associated with interval debulking surgery, which is not different from those associated with primary surgery.