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Updated: Jul 10, 2026

An Ex Vivo Model of Ovarian Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis Using Human Omentum
Published on: January 26, 2024
A case of bowel perforation after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA. jori.carter@bmc.org
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.
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