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The Impact of Surgery Delay on Early-Stage Ovarian Cancer

  • 01st Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" Hospital, 564 29 Thessaloniki, Greece.
Life (basel, Switzerland) +

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January 25, 2025

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January 25, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Delays in surgery for early-stage ovarian cancer (OC) patients beyond five weeks did not negatively impact survival or recurrence rates. Careful diagnosis is crucial, but extended wait times appear safe for early-stage OC.

Area Of Science

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Clinical Research

Background

  • Suspicious adnexal masses require prompt evaluation by gynecologic oncology units.
  • Prolonged surgery waiting lists can lead to delays, potentially impacting prognosis for ovarian cancer (OC) patients.
  • Investigating the impact of surgical delay on early-stage OC outcomes is critical.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To assess the effect of delayed surgery on oncological outcomes in early-stage ovarian cancer patients.
  • To determine if a surgery delay exceeding five weeks influences disease-free or overall survival.
  • To evaluate the safety of extended wait times for early-stage OC management.

Main Methods

  • Retrospective review of early-stage OC patients (2012-2019).
  • Definition of 'time to surgery' as the interval from first examination to surgical intervention.
  • Categorization of patients into two groups based on a 5-week surgery delay threshold.

Main Results

  • No significant differences in age, BMI, or comorbidities between groups.
  • No significant differences in post-operative complications, hospital stay, or ICU admission rates.
  • No statistically significant impact on disease-free survival (p=0.48) or overall survival (p=0.703) for delays over 5 weeks.

Conclusions

  • While suspicious masses need prompt diagnosis, delays over five weeks for early-stage OC appear relatively safe.
  • Extended wait times did not adversely affect mortality, morbidity, or recurrence rates in this cohort.
  • Emphasizes the need for careful differential diagnosis to avoid unnecessary delays in potentially malignant cases.

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