title: Survival Impact of Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer in an Asian Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of secondary cytoreductive surgery in Asian patients with recurrent ovarian cancer and to assess prognostic variables on overall post-recurrence survival time.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who underwent secondary cytoreduction at the Gynaecological Cancer Center at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore, between 1999 and 2009. Eligible patients included those who had been firstly treated by primary cytoreductive surgery and followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and had a period of clinical remission of at least six months and subsequently underwent secondary cytoreductive surgery for recurrence. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate various variables influencing the overall survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five patients met our eligibility criteria. The median age was 52 years (range=31-78 years). The median time from completion of primary treatment to recurrence was 25.1 months (range=6.4-83.4). Secondary cytoreduction was optimal in 20 of 25 patients (80%). The median follow-up duration was 38.9 months (range=17.8-72.4) and median overall survival time was 33.1 months (95% confidence interval, 15.3-undefined.). Ten (40.0%) patients required bowel resection, but no end colostomy was performed. One (4.0%) patient had wedge resection of the liver, one (4.0%) had a distal pancreatectomy, one (4.0%) had a unilateral nephrectomy, and one (4.0%) had adrenalectomy. There were no operative deaths. The overall survival of patients who responded to secondary cytoreductive surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy was significantly longer than those patients who did not respond to the treatment. Of those patients who responded to the surgical management, patients with clear cell carcinoma fared well compared to those with the endometrioid, mucinous adenocarcinoma, and papillary serous type (p<0.001). Complete secondary cytoreductive surgery appeared to have some relationship to overall survival but was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In carefully selected patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, optimal cytoreductive surgery is possible and in a subgroup of patients who respond to surgery and chemotherapy survival is significantly longer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecologic Oncology, BGS Global Hospitals, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Rani Akhil
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecological Oncology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yin Nin
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecological Oncology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Yong Kuei
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecological Oncology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kwai Lam
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Yam
authors.affiliation: Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Sciences, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teo
keywords: Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures; Debulking Surgical Procedures; Ovarian Cancer