A meta-analysis of morbidity and mortality in primary cytoreductive surgery compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced ovarian malignancy

Aim The aim of this meta-analysis is to review the morbidity and mortality associated with primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS) compared to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval cytoreductive surgery (NACT + ICS) for advanced ovarian cancer.

A literature search was performed for publications reporting morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing PCS compared to NACT + ICS. Databases searched were Cochrane, Medline, Pubmed, Pubmed Central, clinicaltrials.gov and Embase. Two independent reviewers applied inclusion and exclusion criteria to select included papers, with differences agreed by consensus. A total of 1341 citations were reviewed; 17 studies comprising 3759 patients were selected for the analysis. The literature search was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results were reported as mean differences or pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

Patients in the PCS group were significantly more likely to have a Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ 3 morbidity with an overall rate of 21.2% compared to 8.8% (95%CI 1.9-4.0, p < 0.0001) and were more likely to die within 30 days of surgery (OR 6.1, 95% CI 2.1-17.6, p = 0.0008). Patients who underwent NACT + ICS had significantly shorter procedural times (MD -35 min, p = 0.01), lost less blood intraoperatively (MD-382 ml, p < 0.001) and had an average admission 5.0 days shorter (MD -5.0 days, 95% CI -8.1 to -1.9 days, p = 0.002) than those undergoing PCS. While NACT was associated with significantly increased optimal and complete cytoreduction rates (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3-2.9, p = 0.001, and OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5-3.3, p = 0.0001 respectively), this did not confer any additional survival benefit (OR 1.0, p = 0.76).

NACT is associated with less morbidity and mortality and improved complete cytoreduction compared to PCS, with no survival benefit. Hence NACT is an acceptable alternative in selected patients in particular with medical co-morbidities or a high tumour burden.