Performance of lymphadenectomy for apparent early stage malignant ovarian germ cell tumors in the era of platinum-based chemotherapy

The role of surgeon specialty in management and survival of malignant ovarian germ cell tumors: A population-based study

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to describe management and survival in adult patients with malignant ovarian germ cell tumors (MOGCT) undergoing surgery by general gynecologists (GG) versus gynecologic oncologists (GO).

METHODS

This is a population-based retrospective cohort study, including patients (age ≥ 18 years old) with MOGCT identified in the provincial cancer registry of Ontario, (1996-2020). Baseline characteristics, surgical and chemotherapy treatment were compared between those with surgery by GG or GO. Cox proportional hazards (CPH) model was used to determine if surgeon specialty was associated with overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

Overall, 363 patients were included. One-hundred and sixty (44%) underwent surgery by GO and 203 (56%) by GG. There were higher rates of stage II-IV in the GO group (27.5% vs 3.9%, p < 0.001, and higher proportion of chemotherapy (64.4% vs 37.4%, p < 0.0001). Five-year OS was 90% and 93% in the GO vs GG groups, respectively (p = 0.39). CPH model showed factors associated with increased risk of death were older age at diagnosis (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.07-1.12) and chemotherapy (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.44-6.75). Surgeon specialty was not independently associated with all-cause death (HR 1.04, 95% 0.51-2.15, p = 0.91).

CONCLUSIONS

In this group of MOGCT, 5-year OS was not significantly different between patients having surgery by GO compared to GG. Nevertheless, survival rates were lower than expected in the GG group despite their low-risk features. Further exploration is warranted regarding the reasons for this and whether patients with suspected MOGCT may benefit from early assessment by GO for optimal management.

Chylous ascites following retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy in a patient with recurrent dysgerminoma of ovary: A case report

Chylous ascites is an uncommon condition of accumulation of milky fluid rich in lymph and chylomicrons in the peritoneal cavity. Post-surgical complications following dissection near the base of the mesentery, retroperitoneum, or near the cisterna chyli, malignancies (e.g., pancreatic adenocarcinomas, lymphoma, gastric carcinoma), cirrhosis, and trauma are the prime causes of chylous ascites. Here we report a rare case of chylous ascites following clearance of isolated paraaortic nodal recurrence in a 28-year-old female with dysgerminoma of ovary. The patient developed chylous ascites on the fifth day following surgery, which was confirmed by an increased drain fluid triglyceride level. She was managed conservatively with dietary modification including a high-protein and carbohydrate but low-fat-based diet mainly containing medium-chain fatty acids. Subsequently, she recovered from chylous ascites on the sixteenth day, completed second line chemotherapy, and is now doing well.

Prognosis of lymphadenectomy in malignant ovarian germ cell tumor

Background and objectives

The routine application of lymphadenectomy remains a controversial part of surgical staging in malignant ovarian germ-cell tumor (MOGCT). Thus, studies are needed to explore the prognostic significance of lymphadenectomy in MOGCT. The goal of this retrospective study was to report the clinical outcomes of lymph node dissection (LND) and non-LND in MOGCT surgeries.

Measurements and main results

A total of 340 cases of MOGCTs were included: 143 patients (42.1%) had LND and 197 (57.9%) had no LND. The OS rates at 5 years in the LND and non-LND group were 99.3% vs. 100%, respectively. The DFS rates at 5 years in the LND and non-LND group were 88.8% vs. 88.3%. Forty-three patients (12.6%) were successfully pregnant during the postoperative follow-up. There were 44 recurrences (12.9%) and six deaths (1.8%). Stage was an independent prognostic factor for DFS in the multivariate analysis. Pathology was reported as an independent prognostic factor associated with OS in the multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

Lymphadenectomy had no significant influence on the OS (P=0.621) or disease-free survival rate (P=0.332) of patients with MOGCT.

Impact of Lymphadenectomy on Outcomes of Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: The study aimed to assess if additional lymphadenectomy with primary staging surgery improves overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of early-stage ovarian cancer (ESOC).

Methods: PubMed and Embase databases were searched for any type of study comparing OS or DFS between lymphadenectomy and control groups for any type of ESOC. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) were pooled in a random-effects model.

Results: Twelve studies were included. Meta-analysis indicated that lymphadenectomy is associated with significantly improved OS only for epithelial tumors (HR 0.75 95% CI 0.68, 0.82 I² = 0% p < 0.00001) but not for malignant germ cell tumors (HR 1.31 95% CI 0.88, 1.94 I² = 0% p = 0.18). Single studies indicated a tendency of improved OS with lymphadenectomy which was significant for ovarian carcinosarcoma but not for sex cord-stromal tumors. On meta-regression of all histological types, the percentage of patients with lymph node metastasis in the lymphadenectomy group was not found to influence the effect size. Meta-analysis also indicated that lymphadenectomy is associated with significantly improved DFS for epithelial tumors (HR 0.59 95% CI 0.45, 0.77 I² = 0% p < 0.0001). Single studies on malignant germ cell and sex cord-stromal tumors failed to demonstrate any significant beneficial effect of lymphadenectomy on DFS.

Conclusions: Within the limitations of the review, lymphadenectomy may improve OS and DFS for epithelial ESOC. Scarce data suggest that lymphadenectomy is not associated with improved outcomes for malignant germ cell and sex cord-stromal tumors but may benefit ovarian carcinosarcoma. Large-scale RCTs and robust observational studies shall improve current evidence.