title: Limited invasiveness to assess retroperitoneal spread in stage I-II ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of retroperitoneal metastases, survival rate and site of recurrence in early ovarian tumors undergoing limited retroperitoneal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three hundred seventy-three consecutive patients underwent assessment of the retroperitoneum consisting of intraoperative palpation with or without biopsies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retroperitoneal metastases were detected in 10 stage-I tumors (3.2%) and in 10 stage-II tumors (16%). The risk was inversely related to tumor differentiation. Palpation revealed metastases in 10 cases. During follow-up, none of the borderline tumors (1.9% of stage-I grade-1 node-negative, 2.7% of grade-2 and 7.0% of grade-3 tumors) recurred in the retroperitoneum. In stage II, two recurrences were observed in grade-2 tumors (11%) and one in grade 3 (4.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limited retroperitoneal surgery enables satisfactory outcome in early ovarian cancers. Risk of retroperitoneal recurrence is minimal in grade 1 and non-existent in borderline tumors. Less differentiated tumors have low risk but further investigation of the therapeutic role of lymphadenectomy is justified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, S. Gerardo Hospital, University of Milan, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zanetta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chiari
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barigozzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rota
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Losa
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mangioni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000556:secondary*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate