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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Fertility Preservation in Patients with Severe Ovarian Dysfunction
Published on: March 25, 2021
Cytoreduction and HIPEC after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in stage IIIC-IV ovarian cancer. Critical analysis in elderly
P Cascales-Campos1, J Gil1, E Gil1
1Department of Surgery, Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Unit, Department of Surgery, Virgen De La Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain.
Objectives:
The aim of our study was to evaluate postoperative morbidity and mortality, disease-free and overall survival in patients older than 75 years undergoing interval debulking after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and intraoperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Study Design:
Were included a series of consecutive patients diagnosed with stages IIIC/IV ovarian carcinoma, intervened after neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (paclitaxel and carboplatin) between January 2008 and June 2013. After completion of cytoreduction HIPEC was administered using paclitaxel (60mg/m(2)) or cisplatin (75mg/m(2)). We analyzed and compared the results of postoperative morbidity and mortality, disease-free survival and overall survival in patients ≥75 years compared to patients with lower ages intervened in the same time period.
Results:
From a total of 66 patients tested, 9 patients were ≥75 years (14%). Grade I-IV morbidity was significantly higher in patients ≥75 years (78% vs 35%, p<0.05) as well as grade III-IV disease (56% vs 16%, p<0.05). There were no procedure-related mortality. In patients ≥75 years the median disease-free survival was 6 months (95% CI: 3.5-8.5 months) vs 24 months (95% CI: 10.5-37.5 months) in younger patients. The median overall survival in patients ≥75 years was 13 months (95% CI: 4.7-21.3), not having reached at time of analysis of the database in younger patients.
Conclusions:
Patients ≥75 years received no benefit in prognosis after interval cytoreduction with HIPEC and paid a high price in terms of postoperative morbidity. This age group should be excluded from this therapeutic procedure.

