Importance of lymph node metastases in primary peritoneal carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The incidence and significance of lymph node involvement in patients with primary peritoneal adenocarcinoma (PPA) are unknown. The aim of the current study is to report on the incidence and significance of clinically or surgically detectable lymphadenopathy in women with PPA.


METHODS
The study is a retrospective clinical review of patients with the confirmed diagnosis of PPA treated at Roswell Park Cancer Institute between 1982 and 1996. Patients with clinically or surgically detectable lymphadenopathy confirmed on histologic examination to be secondary to metastases from PPA were identified and compared to patients with negative lymph nodes with regard to clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment, response to treatment, and survival.


RESULTS
Seventy-two patients with PPA were identified. Pelvic and periaortic lymph node biopsies or sampling were performed in 35% of the patients. In 8/72 patients (11%), lymphadenopathy was one of the presenting clinical or surgical findings. The clinicopathologic features, treatment, response to first-line chemotherapy, and estimated median overall survival were not different in patients with or without lymph node involvement (71.4% vs. 69.7%, P = 1.0, and 21.5 vs. 23.5 months, P = 0.14).


CONCLUSIONS
Lymph node involvement is not an infrequent occurrence in patients with PPA and does not seem to be of adverse prognostic significance.
Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA. gamal.eltabbakh@vtmednet.org
G H
GH
Eltabbakh
M S
MS
Piver
R E
RE
Hempling
B A
BA
Werness
L E
LE
Blumenson
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis