Secondary cytoreductive surgery for recurrent low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSC) is a relatively chemo-resistant disease with limited effective treatment options for patients with recurrence. Secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) is commonly offered at recurrence, although any benefit this has on survival is not fully determined. This review evaluates the impact of SCS, including residual disease, on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in recurrent LGSC. METHODS: A comprehensive search of Medline ALL, Embase Classic + Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science was conducted to obtain studies evaluating optimal or complete SCS versus suboptimal SCS and the amount of residual disease in recurrent LGSC. Meta-analysis was performed and PFS and OS outcomes were calculated. RESULTS: 1Of 5296 studies screened, 350 progressed to full-text review, with 9 ultimately selected for inclusion in the systematic review. Two studies met criteria for meta-analysis of PFS and of OS. The presence of visible residual disease at the conclusion of SCS negatively impacted PFS (HR = 3.51, 95% CI = 1.72-7.14), whereas SCS with no residual disease significantly improved OS (HR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.23-0.7) in patients with recurrent LGSC. Diffuse and extensive disease distribution was inversely linked to survival. In addition, SCS as an initial treatment for recurrent LGSC was associated with superior survival in comparison to chemotherapy. A short platinum-free interval was not associated with worse survival in this cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Complete SCS, and to a lesser extent optimal SCS, are associated with improved PFS and OS in patients with recurrent LGSC. SCS may be a better initial treatment strategy than systemic chemotherapy for recurrent disease. Patients with recurrent LGSC should be evaluated for the role of SCS based on disease distribution and functional status, irrespective of the platinum-free interval. Prospective studies are needed to further study the role of SCS in patients with recurrent LGSC.

Minimal access surgery compared to laparotomy for secondary surgical cytoreduction in patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma: Perioperative and oncologic outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the perioperative outcomes of minimal access surgery (MAS) in secondary surgical cytoreduction (SSCR) for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (ROC); to compare oncologic outcomes with laparotomy (LAP). METHODS: Using an institutional database, we identified all patients with ROC undergoing SSCR from 1/5/09-6/14/14. Selection for MAS or LAP was based on surgeon preference. To minimize selection bias, preoperative imaging was reviewed for all LAP cases. In this manner, we identified potential MAS candidates, who were used in the comparison. Intent-to-treat analyses were undertaken using statistical testing. RESULTS: 170 cases were identified (131 LAP, 8 LSC, 31 RBT). 68/131 (52%) LAP cases were deemed potential candidates for MAS. Feasibility analyses included 68 LAP and 39 MAS cases. Six (15%) MAS cases were converted to LAP. Median age, BMI, operative time did not differ significantly between the groups. Complete gross resection was achieved in 37/39 (95%) MAS, 63/68 (93%) LAP (P=1.0). Median estimated blood loss was 50cm3 (range, 5-500) MAS, 150cm3 (range, 0-1500) LAP (P=0.001). Median length of stay was 1day (range, 0-23) MAS, 5days (range, 1-21) LAP (P<0.001). Complications occurred in 3/39 (8%) MAS, 15/68 (22%) LAP (P=0.06). The 2-year progression-free survival was 56.1% (SE 9%) MAS, 63.5% (SE 6%) LAP (P=1.0). The 2-year overall survival was 92.2% (SE 5.4%) MAS, 81.4% (SE 5.5%) LAP (P=0.7). CONCLUSIONS: MAS for SSCR is feasible in properly selected cases. MAS is associated with favorable perioperative outcomes and similar oncologic outcomes, compared to LAP.