Laparoscopic Management of Ovarian Cancer Patients With Localized Carcinomatosis and Lymph Node Metastases: Results of a Retrospective Multi-institutional Series

Study Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic cytoreduction in ovarian cancer patients with localized carcinomatosis or lymph node involvement. Design: Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). Setting: Multi-institutional study performed in 6 referral gynecologic oncology units. Patients: Between June 2005 and December 2014, preoperatively presumed early-stage ovarian cancer patients, who accidentally revealed localized carcinomatosis or lymph node involvement at laparoscopic evaluation or at postoperative pathological examination managed by the laparoscopic approach. Interventions: All patients with limited carcinomatosis and/or lymph node metastases underwent complete laparoscopic cytoreduction. Measurements and results: Sixty-nine patients were included in the analysis. Twenty-eight (40.6%) patients were staged III C because they had lymph node metastases. Pelvic lymphadenectomy was performed in 75.4% of cases, whereas aortic lymphadenectomy was performed in 79.7% of cases. Lymph node metastases were found in pelvic and aortic regions in 11 and 13 patients, respectively, whereas 4 patients had lymph node metastases in both regions. Twelve (17.4%) patients underwent complete pelvic peritonectomy because of the presence of nodules localized in several pelvic region sites. As of May 2015, the median follow-up was 35 months, and the median disease-free survival was 29 months. The 2-year disease-free survival rate was 77.1%, whereas the 2-year overall survival rate was 90.6%. The median time to recurrence was 26 months (range, 6-55 months); 15 (21.7%) patients developed recurrence. Conclusion: The present study shows the technical and clinical feasibility of laparoscopic cytoreduction in ovarian cancer patients with limited carcinomatosis or lymph node involvement.