Palliative pelvic exenteration for patients with gynecological malignancies.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the results of palliative pelvic exenteration in patients with gynecologic tumors.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was carried out in 13 patients from January 2000 to December 2007. The procedure was considered palliative because of distant metastatic disease or unresectable pelvic wall disease. Patients presented with bleeding, fistula, malodorous discharge or untreatable pain.


RESULTS
Overall complication rate was 38.4%. Mean follow-up time was 8 months. Actuarial 2 years overall survival was 15.4%. Six patients survived more than 5 months and three more than 12 months. All achieved symptoms control and favorable impact in quality of life. Two patients are with stable disease after 26 and 28 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Palliative exenteration is a procedure with high morbidity and mortality rates and should only be offered to highly selected patients. The role of exenterative surgery in relieving severe symptoms in patients with incurable disease is yet to be established.
Guimarães
Gustavo Cardoso
GC
Department of Pelvic Surgery, A. C. Camargo Cancer Hospital, Rua Prof. Antonio Prudente, 211, Liberdade, São Paulo, SP 01509-010, Brazil. guimaraesgc@gmail.com
Baiocchi
Glauco
G
Ferreira
Fabio Oliveira
FO
Kumagai
Lillian Yuri
LY
Fallopa
Carlos Chaves
CC
Aguiar
Samuel
S
Rossi
Benedito Mauro
BM
Soares
Fernando Augusto
FA
Lopes
Ademar
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000601:surgery*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007890:Leiomyosarcoma / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D010166:Palliative Care; D010385:Pelvic Exenteration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*