R0 Resection in Recurrent Gynecologic Malignancy: Pelvic Exenteration and Beyond.

Abstract

Pelvic exenteration is a radical surgery, but oftentimes, it is the last curative option for patients with recurrent gynecologic malignancies who have exhausted more conservative therapies. Mortality and morbidity outcomes have improved over time, but there are still significant peri-operative risks. Considerations before pursing pelvic exenteration must include the likelihood of oncologic cure and patients' fitness to undergo such a procedure, particularly given the high rate of surgical morbidity. Pelvic sidewall tumors have been a traditional contraindication for pelvic exenteration due to the difficulty in obtaining negative margins, but the use of laterally extended endopelvic resection and intra-operative radiation therapy allows for more radical resection of recurrent disease. We believe that these procedures to achieve R0 resection can expand the use of curative-intent surgery in recurrent gynecologic cancer, but require the surgical expertise of colleagues in orthopedic and vascular surgery and collaboration with plastic surgery for complex reconstruction and optimization of post-operative healing. Surgery of recurrent gynecologic cancer including pelvic exenteration, requires careful patient selection, pre-operative medical optimization and prehabilitation, and thorough counseling to optimize outcomes, both oncologic and peri-operative. We believe the creation of a well-developed team, including surgical teams and supportive care services, can lead to the best patient outcomes and improved professional satisfaction amongst providers.