Among patients with stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer, retroperitoneal exploration undergone at the time of primary surgery is associated with better survival, according to a study published in Cancer.1
Researchers evaluated data from 1871 patients with stage IIIC epithelial cancer who had undergone optimal primary debulking surgery through the Gynecologic Oncology Group 182 (GOG-182) study. The goal was to examine the effect of retroperitoneal exploration and disease distribution on progression-free and overall survival among these patients.
At time of primary surgery, the patients’ disease was cytoreduced to either no gross residual disease (R0) or minimal gross residual disease of less than 1 cm.
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Among the observed patients, 689 underwent retroperitoneal exploration as well as at least 1 para-aortic lymph node removal. In total, 269 patients had an intraperitoneal tumor greater than 2 cm without lymph node involvement, 420 patients had an intraperitoneal tumor greater than 2 cm with lymph node involvement, and 1182 patients had an intraperitoneal tumor greater than 2 cm with no retroperitoneal exploration.
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Retroperitoneal exploration was associated with improved progression-free and overall survival in contrast with no exploration. Patients with minimal gross residual disease had improved progression-free and overall survival with exploration in contrast with no exploration.
Reference
- Bungruang BJ, Miller A, Krivak TC, et al. What is the role of retroperitoneal exploration in optimally debulked stage IIIC epithelial ovarian cancer? An NRG Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group ancillary data study. Cancer. 2016 Nov 16. doi: 10.1002/cncr.30414 [Epub ahead of print]
