BACKGROUND: The impact of surgical cytoreduction performed during second-look on the survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is still under debate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present retrospective investigation assessed 81 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who underwent second-look laparotomy after initial cytoreductive surgery and six cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. RESULTS: At the beginning of the second-look, 31 patients were in pathological complete response, 7 had microscopic residual disease, 22 had macroscopic residual disease < 2 cm and 21 had a larger residuum. Twenty-two (51.2%) of the 43 patients with macroscopic disease underwent surgical cytoreduction during the second-look: 11 patients were completely cytoreduced, whereas 11 were debulked from residuum > 2 cm to macroscopic residuum < 2 cm. Patients with microscopic residual disease after the second-look had improved survival when compared to those with macroscopic residuum after re-exploration (median survival, 43 months versus 19.5 months, p = 0.002). Among the former, no difference in survival was detected between the patients who had microscopic disease at the beginning of the second-look and those who were surgically cytoreduced to microscopic disease. Moreover, the patients with macroscopic residuum < 2 cm after the second-look had a better survival than those with a larger residuum after re-exploration (median survival, 24 months versus 10 months, p = 0.0001). Among the former, no difference in survival was seen between the patients who had residual disease < 2 cm at the beginning of the second-look and those who were surgically cytoreduced to < 2 cm. However, ovarian cancer recurred in all the patients with small or large macroscopic residuum after the second-look. CONCLUSION: The complete resection of macroscopic persistent tumor seems to give ovarian cancer patients the highest likelihood of long-term survival and should represent the goal of surgical cytoreduction during second-look laparotomy.
BACKGROUND: The impact of surgical cytoreduction performed during second-look on the survival of patients with advanced ovarian cancer is still under debate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present retrospective investigation assessed 81 patients with advanced ovarian cancer who underwent second-look laparotomy after initial cytoreductive surgery and six cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy. RESULTS: At the beginning of the second-look, 31 patients were in pathological complete response, 7 had microscopic residual disease, 22 had macroscopic residual disease < 2 cm and 21 had a larger residuum. Twenty-two (51.2%) of the 43 patients with macroscopic disease underwent surgical cytoreduction during the second-look: 11 patients were completely cytoreduced, whereas 11 were debulked from residuum > 2 cm to macroscopic residuum < 2 cm. Patients with microscopic residual disease after the second-look had improved survival when compared to those with macroscopic residuum after re-exploration (median survival, 43 months versus 19.5 months, p = 0.002). Among the former, no difference in survival was detected between the patients who had microscopic disease at the beginning of the second-look and those who were surgically cytoreduced to microscopic disease. Moreover, the patients with macroscopic residuum < 2 cm after the second-look had a better survival than those with a larger residuum after re-exploration (median survival, 24 months versus 10 months, p = 0.0001). Among the former, no difference in survival was seen between the patients who had residual disease < 2 cm at the beginning of the second-look and those who were surgically cytoreduced to < 2 cm. However, ovarian cancer recurred in all the patients with small or large macroscopic residuum after the second-look. CONCLUSION: The complete resection of macroscopic persistent tumor seems to give ovarian cancerpatients the highest likelihood of long-term survival and should represent the goal of surgical cytoreduction during second-look laparotomy.
Authors: Kentaro Nakayama; Naomi Nakayama; Ben Davidson; Jim J-C Sheu; Natini Jinawath; Antonio Santillan; Ritu Salani; Robert E Bristow; Patrice J Morin; Robert J Kurman; Tian-Li Wang; Ie-Ming Shih Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2006-11-27 Impact factor: 11.205