Pelvic exenteration: long-term oncological results in a series of 106 patients

The aim of this retrospective study is to present the oncological results obtained in a series of 106 patients who underwent a pelvic exenteration with curative intent.

Between December 1980 and December 2008 pelvic exenteration was performed in a series of 106 patients, in 69 for gynecologic cancer, in 29 for colorectal cancer, in 6 for urological and in 2 for skin cancer. In only 21 patients it was the primary treatment, in 85 it was for persistent or recurrent tumor. The resection was macroscopically complete in all patients.

Overall five-year and ten-year survival was 40% and 33% respectively, disease-free survival 41 and 37%. Survival was better for gynecological tumors than for the other tumors. After supralevatoric exenteration survival was 50% and 47% and better than after infralevatoric exenteration. Exenteration with extension beyond the classical plane of dissection resulted in a 5 year survival of 32%. The only significant difference found was according to the margin status. After R1 resection the median survival was 24 months and the 5-year survival only 9% whereas R0 resection resulted in a 5-year survival of 47% and a local recurrence rate of 13.5%. Fifteen patients died from an unrelated cause. Only 12% of the patients alive 5 years after the operation suffered from recurrent tumor and surgery cured half of them.

Pelvic exenteration in patients with advanced or recurrent pelvic cancer results in a long-term cure rate of about 50% if an R0 resection has been obtained.