Impact of Laparoscopy to Assess Resectability in Stage IIIC Epithelial Ovarian, Tubal and Peritoneal Cancer Patients.

ABSTRACT

AIMS: To evaluate overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with stage IIIC epithelial ovarian, tubal and peritoneal cancer (EOC) who underwent a laparoscopy to assess surgical resectability prior to Primary Debulking Surgery (PDS) or Interval Debulking Surgery (IDS). METHODS: Retrospective cohort study that included all women with stage IIIC EOC treated at our center between 2000 and 2010. Patients were classified in groups PDS, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) with IDS, NACT without IDS; and then sub-classified based on residual tumor (RT). A laparoscopy to assess resectability was performed before PDS and IDS. RESULTS: Among 111 patients included, 66 underwent PDS, and 45 were treated with NACT, 80% of them receiving subsequent IDS. OS was 75.6 months in the PDS group, and 52.8 months for IDS group (p = 0.100); the PFS was 30 months and 19.2 months respectively (p = 0.049). Median OS was 104.4 and 52.8 months for patients with optimal cytoreduction (RT = 0) in the PDS and IDS group respectively (p < 0.05). Laparoscopy did not modify the preoperative consideration for PDS; however, 9 laparotomies were avoided based on laparoscopic findings after NACT. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopy for the assessment of surgical resectability in stage IIIC EOC has no impact on survival; but it still could be useful for the reduction of unnecessary laparotomies after NACT.