Pancreatic resections as part of debulking surgery for relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer – a single center experience

Abstract

Aims: To demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of pancreatic resections as part of cytoreductive surgery for relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer. Material and methods: Data of patients submitted to cytoreductive surgery for relpaed epithelial ovarian cancer in “Dan Setlacec” Center of Gastrointestinal Disease and Liver Transplantation, Fundeni Clinical Institute between January 2002 and May 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Five patients were considered eligible for the study. In four cases distal pancreatectomy was performed as part of secondary cytoreduction while in the fifth case a spleno-pancreatectomy was performed at the moment of tertiary cytoreduction. Postoperatively a single patient developed a pancreatic leak which was successfully managed in a conservative manner. A median overall survival of 36 months was reported after secondary cytoreduction while the patient submitted to pancreatic resection as part of tertiary cytoreductive surgery experienced a 10 months survival, the patient being dead of disease at the time of ending the study. Conclusions: Pancreatic resections can be safely introduced as part of the therapeutic armamentarium for relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer.