title: Incidence and Impact of Lymph Node Metastases in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Implications for Surgical Treatment.
abstract: Background:This study aimed to clarify the impact of node involvement (affected to resected nodes) in optimally cytoreduced (residual tumour ≤1cm) stage IIIC/IV ovarian cancer.Methods:108 consecutive patients with primary stage IIIC/IV ovarian cancer underwent stage-related surgery and got adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. Median follow-up: 53.5 months. All patients got systematic para-aortic and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Clinical parameters were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were stratified into 3 groups to evaluate node affection: 1) no (0%), 2) minor (>0%, ≤50%) >0 and 3) major (>50% of affected nodes). Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to evaluate the prognostic value.Results:On average, 21.3 pelvic and para-aortic nodes were removed per patient (range 1-60 nodes). Minor nodal involvement (node ratio >0-≤0.5: (59%) was most often detected. Increasing node ratio leads to significant decreased overall survival (p<0.001).Significant best overall survival was associated with minor node involvement (node ratio >0 to ≤0.5). Complete cytoreduction correlated with node affection shows significant best prognostic impact in minor node affection compared to incomplete resection (R>0-≤1cm) independent to nodal status (OS p<0.001).Conclusion:Radical surgery is the main factor of improved overall and tumor free survival. Paraaortal and iliacal lymphadenectomy seems to play an important role for prognostic and therapeutic reasons: Prognostic in accurate staging and therapeutic in case of achieved optimal cytoreduction including lymph nodes with histology proven minor node involvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of gynecology, University Tübingen, Calwer Str. 7, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.affiliation: Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler Str. 3, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University Tübingen; Liebermeisterstraße 8; 72076Tübingen; Germany.
authors.forename: Falko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fend
authors.affiliation: Department of gynecology, University Tübingen, Calwer Str. 7, 72070 Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Diethelm
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wallwiener
keywords: Advanced ovarian cancer; lymphadenectomy; node involvement.; node ratio; prognosis; residual tumour