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Published on: January 22, 2022
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Surgery for Recurrent Epithelial Ovarian Cancer
Christina Fotopoulou1, Ane Gerda Eriksson2, Itai Yagel3,4
1Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK. c.fotopoulou@imperial.ac.uk.
Current Oncology Reports
|December 13, 2023
Summary
Surgery can extend remission for carefully selected recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (ROC) patients when combined with chemotherapy. Achieving complete tumor removal is crucial for maximizing benefits and avoiding unnecessary surgical risks.
Area of Science:
- Gynecologic Oncology
- Surgical Oncology
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (ROC) presents significant treatment challenges.
- Balancing cytoreductive and palliative surgical goals is essential for patient care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evidence on the value and challenges of surgery for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.
- To address both cytoreductive and palliative surgical aspects in ROC management.
Main Methods:
- Review of prospective and retrospective evidence.
- Analysis of treatment outcomes for surgical versus systemic modalities.
- Evaluation of selection criteria for surgical candidates.
Main Results:
- Combination of surgery and systemic therapy significantly improves remission duration in selected ROC patients compared to systemic therapy alone.
- Benefit is contingent upon achieving complete macroscopic tumor clearance.
- Effective selection algorithms are critical to optimize oncologic outcomes and minimize surgical morbidity.
Conclusions:
- Carefully selected patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer benefit from cytoreductive surgery when complete tumor removal is achievable.
- Precise patient selection is paramount to ensure surgical benefit outweighs risks.
- In palliative settings, salvage surgery must be weighed against conservative management options.
