Impact of appendectomy of a grossly normal appendix on the survival outcomes of mucinous ovarian carcinomas in a tertiary hospital.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the survival outcomes of appendectomy for a grossly normal appendix in patients with mucinous ovarian carcinomas. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. Patients with mucinous ovarian carcinomas with grossly normal appendices who underwent primary surgery between 2002 and 2022 were enrolled. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of appendectomy and non-appendectomy groups were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the independent factors associated with OS and PFS. RESULTS: Of 192 patients, appendectomy was performed in 138 (71.9%). Three (1.6%) patients had primary appendiceal tumors and two (1.0%) had appendiceal metastases of ovarian origin. The median follow-up time was 68.8 months. The OS and PFS were better in patients in the appendectomy group than in those in the non-appendectomy group (5-year OS 80.72% vs. 65.05%, P = 0.012; 5-year PFS 76.32% vs. 58.60%, P = 0.020). Independent factors associated with poor OS and PFS were no omentectomy, peritoneal seeding, and advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage. CONCLUSION: Appendectomy of a grossly normal appendix was not an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS in patients with mucinous ovarian carcinomas.