Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer Research Articles

The Impact of Upper Abdominal Surgery Regarding the Outcome of Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer.

Residual tumor after cytoreductive surgery is the most important prognostic parameter for the outcome of patients with advanced ovarian cancer (5-year survival rate FIGO III 39%, FIGO IV 20%). As more than half of the patients suffer from upper abdominal tumor burden, surgery in this area is inevitable in order to achieve adequate cytoreduction. Our analysis focuses on the impact of upper abdominal interventions (UAI) regarding residual tumor and prognosis (OS, PFS). A total of n=261 patients with advanced primary ovarian cancer stage FIGO III and IV and radical cytoreductive surgery at the Gynecologic Cancer Center Hamburg-Eppendorf between 2014 and 2019 were analyzed in a retrospective study design and divided into two groups: one with UAI (n=160) and one without UAI (n=101). Patients with UAI showed significantly more often a residual tumor of less than 1cm (R1) than patients without UAI and had a significantly longer OS (59 vs. 45 months [p=0.041]). Deperitonealization of the diaphragm was the most common (144/160) and prognostically most relevant procedure for UAI. Especially the subgroup with FIGO IIIC stage seemed to benefit most from UAI. However, in multivariate analysis residual tumor burden was the strongest prognostic parameter for survival, followed by FIGO stage and UAI. Mortality was low within in the UAI group (0.6%). UAI is an essential part of cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer patients with tumor spread into the upper abdomen as it significantly prolongs survival. The procedure appears to be safe with low mortality. Achieving R1 rather than R2 due to radical surgery combined with UAI should be preferred compared to the early termination of the operation, as this has a significant impact on the prognosis of the patients.

Successful Management of Upper Gastrointestinal Obstruction With Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer.

Upper gastrointestinal obstruction is an extremely rare complication of primary ovarian cancer. We present a case of primary advanced ovarian cancer with gastroduodenal obstruction successfully managed with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and conservative treatment. A 60-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for advanced ovarian cancer with upper gastrointestinal obstruction. Computed tomography and endoscopy revealed severe duodenal obstruction caused by dissemination. NAC was initiated with conservative management using a nasogastric tube and total parenteral nutrition (TPN). She was able to eat and TPN was stopped after three months. Complete resection was achieved with interval debulking surgery (IDS) not involving pancreatoduodenectomy, which would have been necessary for primary debulking surgery. There were no serious postoperative complications. NAC with conservative management can improve upper gastrointestinal obstruction in patients with primary advanced ovarian cancer. Furthermore, IDS is expected to allow complete resection, avoiding highly invasive surgeries.

Effects of niraparib dose reduction on short-term outcomes in ovarian cancer patients

ObjectivesDespite the individualized starting dose for maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer, the niraparib dose reduction rate remains high. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of niraparib...

Abstract 5532: Differences in immune contexture across metastatic sites and tissue compartments in ovarian cancer

Abstract Introduction: Characterizing the immune contexture within the tumor microenvironment (TME) can provide valuable biological insights that may impact treatment regimens and improve clinical outcomes. The advent of neoadjuvant chemotherapy has provided a unique opportunity to study matched, pre- and post- treatment sample pairs, but these samples are often obtained from different metastatic sites. Innate differences in the immune profiles across metastatic sites could therefore be a confounding factor when attempting to determine treatment-related effects. Furthermore, immune contexture can also vary by region within the TME, so results could vary depending on the regions of interest (ROIs) selected for analysis. Methods: 36 matched, advanced primary ovarian cancer samples were obtained pre- and post- treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy aimed at reducing tumor burden. The first biopsy was taken at the time of initial diagnosis, whereas the second biopsy was collected after 3-4 rounds of carboplatin paclitaxel chemotherapy. Each slide was processed using a 26-plex multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) assay, which interrogates immune cell densities and functional states for a broad range of immune cell populations, including CD8+ T cells, Tregs, TH1s, B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), granulocytes, macrophages, and monocytes. Tumor and stroma ROIs were selected by a board-certified pathologist using H&E slides immediately adjacent to the mIHC samples, and cell densities were calculated separately for each of the two tissue compartments. Results: When comparing pre-treatment samples from the omentum (n = 8) with post-treatment samples from the omentum (n = 14), all of the statistically significant changes were found within the tumor compartment, with higher densities in the post-treatment samples for CD8+ T cells (p = 0.009), Tregs (p = 0.012), DCs (p = 0.04), and monocytes (p = 0.027). In contrast, when comparing post-treatment samples from the omentum (n = 14) and the ovary (n = 14), all of the significant differences were found within the stroma compartment, with higher densities in the omentum for CD8+ T cells (p = 0.002), Tregs (p = 0.043), TH1s (p = 0.003), and macrophages (p = 0.048). Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the site of metastasis can be a significant confounding factor when making statistical comparisons between variables such as timepoint and that differences in immune cell density before and after treatment may be more apparent in the tumor, while differences between tissue types may be more apparent in the stroma. Further research into the immune profiles of different metastatic sites is warranted, but our findings demonstrate the importance of considering both tissue type and ROI selection strategy when designing a study with the intent to detect differences between longitudinal patient samples. Citation Format: Benjamin Tate, Elias Pavlatos, Teresa Kim, Kiaya Wilson, Erik Cid, Jian Rao, Gottfried Konecny, Joanna Pucilowska. Differences in immune contexture across metastatic sites and tissue compartments in ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 5532.

Cytoreduction Plus Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Primary and Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: A Single-Center Cohort Study

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most frequent cause of death among women with gynecologic malignant tumors. Primary debulking surgery (PDS) with maximal surgical effort to reach completeness of cytoreduction, followed by chemotherapy, has become the standard of care; moreover, some experiences have shown that a comprehensive treatment approach of surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) could improve the prognosis of ovarian cancer. We carried out a retrospective analysis of all consecutive sixty-six patients diagnosed with primary advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer who underwent debulking surgery plus HIPEC in a single center between September 2005 and October 2020. For 33 patients with primary EOC, with a median follow-up period of 70 months, the median overall survival was 56 months (range: 48.1–96.9); and the median disease-free survival (DFS) was 13 months (range: 19.9–53.7). In the recurrent population, the median follow-up period was 78 months, the median overall survival (OS) was 82 months (range: 48.1–96.9), and the median DFS was 17 months (range: 19.7–53.0). In our study, we have found that CRS plus HIPEC is feasible, with very low rates of major complications and good results in terms of overall survival.

Impact of warm saline irrigation, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy on postoperative pain in primary ovarian cancer from the KOV-HIPEC-01 randomized trial

BackgroundHyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has emerged as a treatment option at the time of cytoreductive surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The effect of active warming of HIPEC on postoperative pain needs to be investigated. This study aimed to investigate whether HIPEC reduces postoperative pain. MethodsFrom the KOV-HIPEC-01 trial, a randomized controlled trial of HIPEC for advanced primary ovarian cancer, 184 patients with a residual tumor size <1 cm were randomly assigned to the HIPEC and control groups at a 1:1 ratio. The consumption of analgesics and pain scales were analyzed. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy was administered after cytoreductive surgery. The primary objective was to compare the consumption of opioids measured in morphine milligram equivalents and non-opioids measured as the maximum daily dose between the HIPEC and control groups. The secondary objective was to compare the minimum and maximum pain intensities on numeric rating scales between the two groups using a linear mixed model. ResultsLesser consumption of non-opioids, with a lower mean maximum daily dose on postoperative days 1 and 2, was observed. The HIPEC group also experienced lower maximum pain intensities on postoperative day 1. No overall differences in the minimum or maximum pain intensities were observed on postoperative day 7. ConclusionThe addition of HIPEC to cytoreductive surgery did not lead to increased postoperative pain, as demonstrated by a reduction in the use of analgesics and lower scores on postoperative pain scales during the early postoperative period.

Real-world Outcomes Associated With Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor Monotherapy Maintenance in Patients With Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer.

This study used real-world population data to assess the trends of first-line (1L) poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor (PARPi) maintenance treatment uptake and outcomes in patients with primary advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). Patients diagnosed with AOC between January 1, 2017, and June 30, 2021, who completed 1L chemotherapy were selected from a real-world database. Descriptive analyses were performed to evaluate patient demographics, clinicopathological characteristics, and 1L treatment patterns. Time to next treatment or death was used as a proxy for real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS). Kaplan-Meier methods and Cox models were used for statistical analyses. Of 705 patients who completed 1L chemotherapy, 166 received PARPi monotherapy and 539 underwent active surveillance (AS). Median follow-up was 10.9 months for PARPi monotherapy and 20.6 months for AS. PARPi monotherapy use increased from 6% in 2017 to 53% in 2021. Overall, patients receiving PARPi monotherapy had longer rwPFS than those who underwent AS (not reached vs 9.53mo) respectively. rwPFS was also longer in patients who received PARPi monotherapy compared with AS in patients with BRCA- mutated disease (not reached vs 11.4mo), BRCA- wild-type disease (13.5 vs 9.1mo), homologous recombination-deficient tumors (not reached vs 10.2mo), and homologous recombination-proficient or unknown status tumors (13.5 vs 9.3mo). Our real-world analysis suggested that 47% of patients with primary AOC did not receive PARPi maintenance in the year 2021. PARPi use was associated with significantly improved outcomes compared with AS.

Comparative Survival Outcomes of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy and Intravenous Chemotherapy for Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer: A Network Meta-Analysis.

We aimed to compare the survival outcomes and adverse events of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IP)and intravenous chemotherapy (IP)for primary advanced ovarian cancer. PubMed, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Registry of Controlled Trials), Embase, Web of Science and Scopus were searched using multiple terms for primary advanced ovarian cancer, including randomized controlled trials and comparative studies in both Chinese and English (up to date 15 August 2022). Outcomes include overall survival, progression-free survival and adverse events. The data were pooled and reported as hazard ratio (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scales were used to assess the risk of bias in the included comparative study. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias Tool was used for randomized controlled trials. In total, 32 studies, including 6347 patients and 8 different platinum-based chemotherapy regimens, were included in this network meta-analysis. Our analysis results showed that HIPEC2 (carboplatin with area under the curve 10) exhibited a statistically significant OS benefit compared to IV, weekly dose-dense chemotherapy and HIPEC1 (cisplatin with 75/100 mg/m2). Intraperitoneal plus intravenous chemotherapy was associated with a statistically significantly better likelihood of overall survival compared to IV. For progression-free survival, our statistical results only suggest a better progression-free survival in ovarian cancer patients treated with HIPEC1 compared with weekly dose-dense chemotherapy. No evidence of difference was observed between the other comparison groups. Compared with the non-HIPEC group, HIPEC may had a higher incidence of electrolyte disturbances (≥grade 3). Our statistical analysis suggests that the groups receiving HIPEC2 had a better OS than the groups receiving IV, weekly dose-dense chemotherapy and HIPEC1. For PFS, our analysis only showed HIPEC1 is better than IV. Moreover, HIPEC may lead to a higher incidence of electrolyte disturbances (≥grade 3). HIPEC therapy for advanced ovarian cancer is currently controversial.

Residual Disease Threshold After Primary Surgical Treatment for Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Part 1: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

We present a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) that is the precursor underpinning the Bayesian analyses that adjust for publication bias, presented in the same edition in AJT. The review assesses optimal cytoreduction for women undergoing primary advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) surgery. To assess the impact of residual disease (RD) after primary debulking surgery in women with advanced EOC. This review explores the impact of leaving varying levels of primary debulking surgery. We conducted a systematic review and random-effects NMA for overall survival (OS) to incorporate direct and indirect estimates of RD thresholds, including concurrent comparative, retrospective studies of ≥100 adult women (18+ years) with surgically staged advanced EOC (FIGO stage III/IV) who had confirmed histological diagnoses of ovarian cancer. Pairwise meta-analyses of all directly compared RD thresholds was previously performed before conducting this NMA, and the statistical heterogeneity of studies within each comparison was evaluated using recommended methods. Twenty-five studies (n = 20,927) were included. Analyses demonstrated the prognostic importance of complete cytoreduction to no macroscopic residual disease (NMRD), with a hazard ratio for OS of 2.0 (95% confidence interval, 1.8-2.2) for <1 cm RD threshold versus NMRD. NMRD was associated with prolonged survival across all RD thresholds. Leaving NMRD was predicted to provide longest survival (probability of being best = 99%). The results were robust to sensitivity analysis including only those studies that adjusted for extent of disease at primary surgery (hazard ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval, 1.9-2.6). The overall certainty of evidence was moderate and statistical adjustment of effect estimates in included studies minimized bias. The results confirm a strong association between complete cytoreduction to NMRD and improved OS. The NMA approach forms part of the methods guidance underpinning policy making in many jurisdictions. Our analyses present an extension to the previous work in this area.

OVA-LEAK: Prognostic score for colo-rectal anastomotic leakage in patients undergoing ovarian cancer surgery

ObjectiveThe objective of the present study was to define and validate an anastomotic leak prognostic score based on previously described and reported anastomotic leak risk factors (OVA-LEAK: https://n9.cl/ova-leakscore) and to establish if the use of OVA-LEAK score is better than clinical criteria (surgeon's choice) selecting anastomosis to be protected with a diverting ileostomy. Material & methodsThis is a retrospective, multicentre cohort study that included patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery for primary advanced or relapsed ovarian cancer with colorectal resection and anastomosis between January 2011 and June 2021. Data from patients already included in the previous predictive model were not considered in the present analysis. To validate the performance of our logistic regression model, we used the OVA-LEAK formula (Annex I: https://n9.cl/ova-leakscore) for estimating leakage probabilities in a new independent cohort. Then, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed and area under the curve (AUC) was used to measure the performance of the model. Additionally, the Brier score was also estimated. 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each of the estimated performance measures were also calculated. Results848 out of 1159 recruited patients were finally included in the multivariable logistic regression model validation. The AUC of the new cohort was 0.63 for predicting anastomotic leak. Considering a cut-off point of 22.1% to be ‘positive’ (to get a leak) this would provide a sensitivity of 0.45, specificity of 0.80, positive predictive value of 0.09 and negative predictive value of 0.97 for anastomotic leak.If we consider this cut-off point to select patients at risk of leak for bowel diversion, up to 22.5% of the sampled patients would undergo a diverting ileostomy and 47% (18/40) of the anastomotic leaks would be ‘protected’ with the stoma. Nevertheless, if we consider only the ‘clinical criteria’ for performing or not a diverting ileostomy, only 12.5% (5/40) of the leaks would be ‘protected’ with a stoma, with a rate of diverting ileostomy of up to 24.3%. ConclusionsCompared with subjective clinical criteria, the use of a predictive model for anastomotic leak improves the selection of patients who would benefit from a diverting ileostomy without increasing the rate of stoma use.

540P Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the management of primary advanced and recurrent ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Although treatment with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) has shown promising results, its role remains elusive. Aim: To assess the comprehensive randomized evidence for the use vs non-use of HIPEC in primary (POC) and recurrent (ROC) ovarian cancer.

Adverse Events Associated With Long-term Treatment of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer With Bevacizumab and Chemotherapy.

Adverse events associated with long-term bevacizumab administration for ovarian cancer have been poorly documented in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the adverse events of bevacizumab combined with chemotherapy for treating primary and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer in Japan. In this single-center retrospective study, we analyzed data of patients with advanced and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer treated with bevacizumab and chemotherapy between January 2013 and November 2019. Statistical analyses were performed using the Fisher's exact test and Kaplan-Meier method. A total of 46 patients were included and the follow-up time was 30 months. The median duration of bevacizumab treatment was 14 months, and the median total dose of bevacizumab was 247.5 mg/kg. The most common adverse events were hypertension (n=30; 65.2%) and proteinuria (n=24; 49%) in all grades. The onset of hypertension and proteinuria occurred at a median of 2 months and 14 months after treatment initiation in all grades, respectively. Gastrointestinal perforation occurred significantly more frequently in patients with a history of radiation therapy. This study included cases of primary advanced and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, and had a longer observation period and reported more adverse events of bevacizumab with chemotherapy than previous reports. The administration of bevacizumab therapy in patients with a history of radiation should be carefully considered due to increased chances of gastrointestinal perforation.

Efficacy of niraparib by time of surgery and postoperative residual disease status: A post hoc analysis of patients in the PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 study

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between surgical timing and postoperative residual disease status on the efficacy of niraparib first-line maintenance therapy in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer at high risk of recurrence. MethodsPost hoc analysis of the phase 3 PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 (NCT02655016) study of niraparib in patients with newly diagnosed primary advanced ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer with a complete/partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Progression-free survival (PFS) was assessed by surgical status (primary debulking surgery [PDS] vs neoadjuvant chemotherapy/interval debulking surgery [NACT/IDS]) and postoperative residual disease status (no visible residual disease [NVRD] vs visible residual disease [VRD]) in the intent-to-treat population. ResultsIn PRIMA (N = 733), 236 (32.2%) patients underwent PDS, and 481 (65.6%) received NACT/IDS before enrollment. Median PFS (niraparib vs placebo) and hazard ratios (95% CI) for progression were similar in PDS (13.7 vs 8.2 months; HR, 0.67 [0.47–0.96]) and NACT/IDS (14.2 vs 8.2 months; HR, 0.57 [0.44–0.73]) subgroups. In patients who received NACT/IDS and had NVRD (n = 304), the hazard ratio (95% CI) for progression was 0.65 (0.46–0.91). In patients with VRD following PDS (n = 183) or NACT/IDS (n = 149), the hazard ratios (95% CI) for progression were 0.58 (0.39–0.86) and 0.41 (0.27–0.62), respectively. PFS was not evaluable for patients with PDS and NVRD because of sample size (n = 37). ConclusionsIn this post hoc analysis, niraparib efficacy was similar across PDS and NACT/IDS subgroups. Patients who had NACT/IDS and VRD had the highest reduction in the risk of progression with niraparib maintenance.

Survival After Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy and Primary or Interval Cytoreductive Surgery in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecologic malignant tumors. Data are lacking on the survival benefit of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in women with ovarian cancer who underwent primary or interval cytoreductive surgery. To assess the clinical benefit of HIPEC after primary or interval maximal cytoreductive surgery in women with stage III or IV primary advanced ovarian cancer. In this single-blind randomized clinical trial performed at 2 institutions in South Korea from March 2, 2010, to January 22, 2016, a total of 184 patients with stage III or IV ovarian cancer with residual tumor size less than 1 cm were randomized (1:1) to a HIPEC (41.5 °C, 75 mg/m2 of cisplatin, 90 minutes) or control group. The primary end point was progression-free survival. Overall survival and adverse events were key secondary end points. The date of the last follow-up was January 10, 2020, and the data were locked on February 17, 2020. Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery. Progression-free and overall survival. Of the 184 Korean women who underwent randomization, 92 were randomized to the HIPEC group (median age, 52.0 years; IQR, 46.0-59.5 years) and 92 to the control group (median age, 53.5 years; IQR, 47.5-61.0 years). After a median follow-up of 69.4 months (IQR, 54.4-86.3 months), median progression-free survival was 18.8 months (IQR, 13.0-43.2 months) in the control group and 19.8 months (IQR, 13.7-55.4 months) in the HIPEC group (P = .43), and median overall survival was 61.3 months (IQR, 34.3 months to not reported) in the control group and 69.5 months (IQR, 45.6 months to not reported) in the HIPEC group (P = .52). In the subgroup of interval cytoreductive surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the median progression-free survival was 15.4 months (IQR, 10.6-21.1 months) in the control group and 17.4 months (IQR, 13.8-31.5 months) in the HIPEC group (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37-0.99; P = .04), and the median overall survival was 48.2 months (IQR, 33.8-61.3 months) in the control group and 61.8 months (IQR, 46.7 months to not reported) in the HIPEC group (hazard ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.29-0.96; P = .04). In the subgroup of primary cytoreductive surgery, median progression-free survival was 29.7 (IQR, 17.2-90.1 months) in the control group and 23.9 months (IQR, 12.3-71.5 months) in the HIPEC group, and the median overall survival was not reached in the control group and 71.3 months (IQR, 45.6 months to not reported) in the HIPEC group. The addition of HIPEC to cytoreductive surgery did not improve progression-free and overall survival in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Although the results are from a subgroup analysis, the addition of HIPEC to interval cytoreductive surgery provided an improvement of progression-free and overall survival. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01091636.

Loss of skeletal muscle density during neoadjuvant chemotherapy in older women with advanced stage ovarian cancer is associated with postoperative complications

ObjectiveTo assess the association between loss of lumbar skeletal muscle mass and density during neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and postoperative complications after interval cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in older patients with ovarian cancer. Materials and methodsThis multicenter, retrospective cohort study included patients aged 70 years and older with primary advanced stage ovarian cancer (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III-IV), treated with NACT and interval CRS. Skeletal muscle mass and density were retrospectively assessed using Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) and Muscle Attenuation (MA) on routinely made Computed Tomography scans before and after NACT. Loss of skeletal muscle mass or density was defined as >2% decrease per 100 days in SMI or MA during NACT. ResultsIn total, 111 patients were included. Loss of skeletal muscle density during NACT was associated with developing any postoperative complication ≤30 days after interval CRS both in univariable (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.69; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.57–8.68) and in multivariable analysis adjusted for functional impairment and WHO performance status (OR 3.62; 95%CI 1.27–10.25). Loss of skeletal muscle density was also associated with infectious complications (OR 3.67; 95%CI 1.42–9.52) and unintended discontinuation of adjuvant chemotherapy (OR 5.07; 95%CI 1.41–18.19). Unlike loss of skeletal muscle density, loss of skeletal muscle mass showed no association with postoperative outcomes. ConclusionIn older patients with ovarian cancer, loss of skeletal muscle density during NACT is associated with worse postoperative outcomes. These results could add to perioperative risk assessment, guiding the decision to undergo surgery or the need for perioperative interventions.

Role of the Cardiophrenic Lymph Node Status After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer.

This study investigated the cardiophrenic lymph node (CPLN) status before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), as its presence seems to have a rather prognostic significance in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The baseline computed tomography scans of 66 patients with advanced ovarian cancer primary treated with NACT between March 2015 and June 2020 were reviewed. A CPLN enlargement was defined as ≥5 mm. 44% (n=29) of the patients had enlarged CPLNs; 10.7% (n=3) showed a complete response, 71.4% (n=20) a partial response, and 17.9% (n=5) a stable disease after NACT. There was no significant difference between the response to NACT measured according to the status of CPLN compared to other biomarkers in the CPLN group. Patients with CPLN enlargement have a tendency to an impaired prognosis. The response of CPLN to NACT was comparable to the response of established biomarkers, adding a monitoring function to the CPLN.

Bowel resection at the time of interval cytoreductive surgery for advanced ovarian cancer adversely impacts survival: results from two orthogonal cohorts

<h3>Objectives:</h3> To evaluate the survival impact of bowel resection at the time of interval debulking surgery (IDS) for primary advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). <h3>Methods:</h3> Patients with stage IIIC or IV EOC, diagnosed after 2010, who underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by IDS were identified from a single institution tumor registry (SITR) and from the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were performed comparing outcomes for patients who underwent bowel resection to those that did not. Overall survival over three years after patients started neoadjuvant chemotherapy was compared between patients who did and did not undergo bowel resection. This study used two distinct datasets which collected varying post-operative outcomes– thus some findings were not able to be compared directly. Progression free survival (PFS) and peri-operative outcomes were evaluated in the SITR only. <h3>Results:</h3> In total, 195 patients met inclusion criteria from the SITR; 9,824 met criteria from the NCDB. The rates of at least one bowel resection were identical between the two cohorts: 43 (22%) and 2,126 (22%). The rates of R0 resection were also similar: 52% and 45%. Sub-optimal resection (residual disease >1cm) was 4% among SITR and 24% among the NCDB; these rates were not different between bowel resection and non-bowel resection cohorts. Patients that required bowel resection had worse three-year survival in both cohorts. Hazard ratio (HR) for death with bowel resection was 2.13 (p<0.01) among SITR and 1.15 (p<0.01) among NCDB controlling for age, R0 resection, and stage of disease. The NCDB survival analysis also controlled for Charlson-Deyo Score. Progression free survival (PFS) was only calculated from SITR and did not differ between groups (HR 1.0, p=1.0). Among the SITR cohort, patients who underwent bowel resection were found to experience significant perioperative complications [intensive care unit admission, acute kidney injury, ileus, surgical injury to bowel or urinary tract, post-operative infection], HR 3.44 (p<0.01), and longer hospital stay (median stay 7.5 vs. 4 days, p<0.01). Among the NCDB cohort, bowel resection was associated with increased rates of unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days of surgery (OR 1.9, p<0.001). <h3>Conclusions:</h3> We demonstrate in both a single academic institution and in a national cohort a significantly increased risk of 3-year mortality among patients who undergo bowel resection at the time of IDS. Identifying modifiable risk factors that contribute to bowel resection and decreasing the related sequelae of bowel resections for patients undergoing IDS is warranted.

Multimodal Treatment of Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the second most common malignancy of the female genital tract, with approximately 7,400 new cases annually in Germany. With 5,500 deaths per year, ovarian cancer is the leading gynecologic cause of death. Epithelial ovarian cancer is characterized by morphologic heterogeneity with 4 molecular biological subtypes (immunoreactive-like, differentiated-like, proliferative-like, mesenchymal-like) with different prognosis. Significantly improved survival is achieved by optimal debulking with no residual disease (R0). Systematic lymphonodectomy of clinical negative lymph nodes has no effect on overall survival in advanced ovarian cancer. Interval debulking in advanced ovarian cancer after three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin/paclitaxel is controversial. Standard chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer consists of six cycles of carboplatin AUC5 and paclitaxel 175 mg/m2, in a three-week cycle. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is not a standard therapy. Anti-hormonal therapy with an aromatase inhibitor plays a minor role in therapy of both low grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC) and high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). A major achievement in ovarian cancer therapy has been the results of the SOLO-1 trial, in which olaparib as a first line maintenance monotherapy resulted in an overall 70% lower risk of disease progression in patients with advanced Breast Cancer Gene (BRCA)-mutated ovarian cancer.

Postoperative Intestinal Fistula in Primary Advanced Ovarian Cancer Surgery.

BackgroundAdvanced ovarian cancer (AOC) requires an aggressive surgery with large visceral resections in order to achieve an optimal or complete cytoreduction and increase the patient’s survival. However, the surgical aggressiveness in the treatment of AOC is not exempt from major complications, such as the gastrointestinal fistula (GIF), which stands out among others due to its high morbidity and mortality.MethodsWe evaluated the clinicopathological features in patients with AOC and their association with GI. Data for 107 patients with AOC who underwent primary debulking surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Clinicopathological features, including demographic, surgical procedures and follow-up data, were analyzed in relation to GIF.ResultsGIF was present in 11% of patients in the study, 5 (4.5%) and 7 (6.4%) of colorectal and small bowel origin, respectively. GIF was significantly associated with peritoneal cancer index (PCI) >20, more than 2 visceral resections, and multiple digestive resections. Overall and disease-free survival were also associated with GIF. Multivariate analysis identified partial bowel obstruction and operative bleeding as independent prognostic factors for survival. The presence of GIF is positively associated with poor prognosis in patients with AOC.ConclusionGiven the importance of successful cytoreductive surgery in AOC, the assessment of the amount of tumor and the aggressiveness of the surgery to avoid the occurrence of GIF become a priority in patients with AOC.

Use of a dedicated radiologic assessment score to individualize the management of women with primary advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: A triage tool to optimize outcomes and minimize interventions

Objective: Our goal was to evaluate the impact of a preoperative radiologic assessment tool in the primary management of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). This previously published resectability score (R score) was developed to estimate the likelihood of incomplete primary debulking surgery (PDS), i.e., any gross residual disease.