The place of bowel resection in initial debulking surgery for advanced ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and morbidity associated with bowel resection at the initial debulking procedure for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.


METHODS
Retrospective medical record and computerised database review.


METHODS
John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales.


METHODS
All women with FIGO stage III or IV epithelial ovarian cancer and with adequate case note documentation who underwent bowel resection as part of their primary debulking surgery at the John Hunter Hospital from 1991 to July 2000.


METHODS
Cumulative overall and disease free survival, optimal (residual disease < 1 cm) versus suboptimal cytoreduction and short (< 6 weeks) and long-term postoperative morbidity.


RESULTS
For the optimally debulked patients the two and five-year overall and disease free survival rates were 49%, 30%, 19% and 8.9% respectively. The two-year overall survival rate for the suboptimally debulked patients was 20%. The major short-term morbidity rate was 17.6%. Long-term morbidity occurred in 10 of 51 patients; however, not all morbidity was surgery related.


CONCLUSIONS
Cytoreductive surgery, including bowel resection, appears indicated in the treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The surgical morbidity rate from these procedures appears acceptable.
Miller
John
J
Queensland Centre for Gynaecological Cancer, Royal Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Proietto
Anthony
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome