Jori Carter1, John Durfee. 1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA. jori.carter@bmc.org
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bowel perforation is a rare complication of chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer, and may result from tumor necrosis within involved bowel or as a function of the mechanism of the chemotherapeutic agent itself. CASE: We present a case of a 71-year-old woman who experienced a spontaneous bowel perforation after a single cycle of carboplatin and paclitaxel during neoadjuvant treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of a gastrointestinal perforation with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. The clinical circumstances were highly suggestive of a tumor lysis mechanism for the perforation. CONCLUSION: Bowel perforation can occur as a direct consequence of cytotoxic neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer. This potential serious complication may be worthy of consideration when deciding between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary surgical management.
BACKGROUND:Bowel perforation is a rare complication of chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer, and may result from tumor necrosis within involved bowel or as a function of the mechanism of the chemotherapeutic agent itself. CASE: We present a case of a 71-year-old woman who experienced a spontaneous bowel perforation after a single cycle of carboplatin and paclitaxel during neoadjuvant treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of a gastrointestinal perforation with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. The clinical circumstances were highly suggestive of a tumor lysis mechanism for the perforation. CONCLUSION:Bowel perforation can occur as a direct consequence of cytotoxic neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer. This potential serious complication may be worthy of consideration when deciding between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary surgical management.
Authors: Robert A Burger; Mark F Brady; Michael A Bookman; Bradley J Monk; Joan L Walker; Howard D Homesley; Jeffrey Fowler; Benjamin E Greer; Matthew Boente; Gini F Fleming; Peter C Lim; Stephen C Rubin; Noriyuki Katsumata; Sharon X Liang Journal: J Clin Oncol Date: 2014-03-17 Impact factor: 44.544