Pelvic exenteration in gynecologic cancer: complications and oncological outcome

Determination of Comfort Levels and Spiritual Care Needs of Gynecologic Cancer Patients with Abdominal Drains: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study in Turkey

This study was conducted to determine the comfort levels and spiritual care needs of gynecologic cancer patients with abdominal drains. The study was conducted with 61 gynecologic cancer patients with abdominal drains at the gynecologic oncology surgery clinic of a state hospital in Turkey. Data were collected using the "Participant Information Form," "Perianesthesia Comfort Questionnaire (PCQ)", and "Spiritual Care Needs Inventory". Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the data. It was found that the postoperative comfort of the patients in this study was above a moderate level. Patients who did not need spiritual care, did not fulfil religious rituals regularly and did not receive social support had a high level of comfort in the early postoperative period. Patients with gynecologic cancer were found to have high spiritual care needs. Patients without chronic diseases, possessing a single abdominal drain, familiar with the concept of spiritual care, expressing a need for spiritual care, engaging in regular religious rituals, and enjoying social support were identified as having elevated spiritual care needs. Within the framework of holistic nursing care provided to gynecologic cancer patients with abdominal drains, the results reveal the necessity of spiritual care and the importance of comfort.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on mortality rate following total pelvic exenteration in cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Total pelvic exenteration (TPE), an en bloc resection is an ultraradical operation for malignancies, and refers to the removal of organs inside the pelvis, including female reproductive organs, lower urological organs and involved parts of the digestive system. The aim of this meta-analysis is to estimate the intra-operative mortality, in-hospital mortality, 30- and 90-day mortality rate and overall mortality rate (MR) following TPE in colorectal, gynecological, urological, and miscellaneous cancers.

METHODS

This is a systematic review and meta-analysis in which three international databases including Medline through PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science on November 2023 were searched. To screen and select relevant studies, retrieved articles were entered into Endnote software. The required information was extracted from the full text of the retrieved articles by the authors. Effect measures in this study was the intra-operative, in-hospital, and 90-day and overall MR following TPE. All analyzes are performed using Stata software version 16 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX).

RESULTS

In this systematic review, 1751 primary studies retrieved, of which 98 articles (5343 cases) entered into this systematic review. The overall mortality rate was 30.57% in colorectal cancers, 25.5% in gynecological cancers and 12.42% in Miscellaneous. The highest rate of mortality is related to the overall mortality rate of colorectal cancers. The MR in open surgeries was higher than in minimally invasive surgeries, and also in primary advanced cancers, it was higher than in recurrent cancers.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, it can be said that performing TPE in a specialized surgical center with careful patient eligibility evaluation is a viable option for advanced malignancies of the pelvic organs.

Macroscopic examination of gynaecological specimens: a critial and often underemphasised aspect of pathological reporting

Pathological examination of surgical specimens and compilation of a surgical pathology report comprises a series of events which includes macroscopic examination and tissue sampling, either complete or selected. This step is critical but often overlooked in the literature and not given the attention it deserves. In this review, we discuss the macroscopic examination and grossing of gynaecological pathology specimens, with reference to national and international protocols. We provide guidance as to the degree of sampling necessary in different scenarios and stress that a common-sense approach is necessary with flexibility in the degree of sampling depending on a variety of factors.

The Role of Pelvic Exenteration in Cervical Cancer: A Review of the Literature

Pelvic exenteration represents a radical procedure aimed at achieving complete tumor resection with negative margins. Although it is the only therapeutic option for some cases of advanced tumors, it is associated with several perioperative complications. We believe that careful patient selection is related to better oncologic outcomes and lower complication rates. The objectives of this review are to identify the most current indications for this intervention, suggest criteria for case selection, evaluate recommendations for perioperative care, and review oncologic outcomes and potential associated complications. To this end, an analysis of English language articles in PubMed was performed, searching for topics such as the indication for pelvic exenteration for recurrent gynecologic neoplasms selection of oncologic cases, the impact of tumor size and extent on oncologic outcomes, preoperative and postoperative surgical management, surgical complications, and outcomes of overall survival and recurrence-free survival.

Comparation between the Bricker ileal conduit vs double-barrelled wet colostomy after pelvic exenteration for gynaecological malignancies

BACKGROUND

After exhausting other therapeutic options, pelvic exenteration is performed in patients who suffer from relapsed gynaecologic tumours, with most of them requiring some sort of urinary diversion.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The main objective of this study was to assess the short- and medium/long-term urinary complications associated with the Bricker ileal conduit versus double-barrelled wet colostomy after performing a pelvic exenteration for gynaecologic malignancies.

RESULTS

A total of 61 pelvic exenterations were identified between November 2010 and April 2022; 29 Bricker ileal conduits and 20 double-barrelled wet colostomies were included in the urinary diversion analysis. Regarding the specific short-term urinary complications, no differences were found in the rate of urinary leakage (3 vs 0 %; p = 1), urostomy complications (7 vs 0 %; p = 0.51), acute renal failure (10 vs 20 %; p = 0.24) or urinary infection (0 vs 5 %; p = 0.41). Up to 69 % of patients with Bricker ileal conduits and 65 % of double-barrelled wet colostomies (p = 0.76) presented specific medium/long-term urinary complications. No differences in the rates of pyelonephritis (59 vs 53 %; p = 0.71), urinary fistula (0 vs 12 %; p = 0.13), ureteral stricture (10 vs 6 %; p = 1), conduit failure and reconstruction (7 vs 0 %; p = 0.53), renal failure (38 vs 29 %; p = 0.56) or electrolyte disorders (24 vs 18 %; p = 0.72) were found.

CONCLUSIONS

There are no significant differences in the rate of complications between double-barrelled wet colostomy and the Bricker ileal conduit. The long-term complications related to urinary diversion remained high regardless of the type of technique. In this context, the double-barrelled wet colostomy presents advantages such as the single stoma placement and the simplicity of the technique.

Quality of life after extended pelvic exenterations

BACKGROUND

The aim of the study was to compare health-related quality of life (QoL) and oncological outcome between gynaecological cancer patients undergoing pelvic exenteration (PE) and extended pelvic exenteration (EPE). EPEs were defined as extensive procedures including, in addition to standard PE extent, the resection of internal, external, or common iliac vessels; pelvic side-wall muscles; large pelvic nerves (sciatic or femoral); and/or pelvic bones.

METHODS

Data from 74 patients who underwent PE (42) or EPE (32) between 2004 and 2019 at a single tertiary gynae-oncology centre in Prague were analysed. QoL assessment was performed using EORTC QLQ-C30, EORTC CX-24, and QOLPEX questionnaires specifically developed for patients after (E)PE.

RESULTS

No significant differences in survival were observed between the groups (P > 0.999), with median overall and disease-specific survival in the whole cohort of 45 and 49 months, respectively. Thirty-one survivors participated in the QoL surveys (20 PE, 11 EPE). No significant differences were observed in global health status (P = 0.951) or in any of the functional scales. The groups were not differing in therapy satisfaction (P = 0.502), and both expressed similar, high willingness to undergo treatment again if they were to decide again (P = 0.317).

CONCLUSIONS

EPEs had post-treatment QoL and oncological outcome comparable to traditional PE. These procedures offer a potentially curative treatment option for patients with persistent or recurrent pelvic tumour invading into pelvic wall structures without further compromise of patients´ QoL.

Long-Term Survival, Prognostic Factors, and Quality of Life of Patients Undergoing Pelvic Exenteration for Cervical Cancer

Background: Considerable efforts have been carried out over the past 30 years to support patients with advanced cervical cancer. Throughout this time, Eastern European countries have been left aside from the decision-making groups on this matter, hence the absence of similar studies in this geographical area. In these countries, the quality of life (QoL) of patients with cervical cancer might be considered a “caprice”, and the discomforts they encounter following pelvic exenteration for cervical cancer are often perceived as a “normal phenomenon”. Methods: This study examined forty-seven patients submitted to pelvic exenteration followed up for nine years after the surgical intervention. The first objective of this study is to identify the prognostic factors that influence the overall survival (OS) of patients undergoing pelvic exenteration for FIGO stage IVA, recurrent or persistent cervical cancer after previous conclusive treatments. The second objective is to assess the QoL of the surviving patients using the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CX24 standardized questionnaires. Results: The mean age of the participants was 54 years (range 36−67). At the time of the study, there were 25 living patients (53.2%), the 3-year OS was 61%, and the 5-year OS was 48.7%. Cox regression analysis recognized parameter invasion, pelvic lymph node metastases, positive resection margins, early postoperative complications, and infralevatorian pelvic exenteration as negative prognostic factors influencing the OS (p < 0.05). Of the 25 survivors, 18 patients answered the QoL questionnaires. The cost of favorable survival has been translated into poor overall QoL, unsatisfactory functional, social, and symptom scores, a high prevalence of cervical cancer-specific symptoms such as lymphedema, peripheral neuropathy, severe menopausal symptoms, distorted body image, and lack of sexual desire. The lower scores are comparable to the only three studies available in the literature that assessed the QoL of patients undergoing pelvic exenteration precisely for cervical cancer. Conclusions: Despite its retrospective nature and some limitations, this paper, similar to other studies, shows a decent OS but with a marked adverse impact on QoL, suggesting the importance of adequate psycho-emotional and financial support for these patients following pelvic exenteration. This study also contributes to the current knowledge regarding advanced cervical cancer treatment, depicting survival, prognostic factors, and QoL of patients undergoing pelvic exenteration for cervical cancer in a reference center in Eastern Europe. Our study can provide a comparison for future prospective randomized trials needed to confirm these results.

Extended pelvic resection for gynecological malignancies: A review of out-of-the-box surgery

The term 'out-of-the-box surgery' in gynecologic oncology was recently coined to describe the resection of tumor growing out of the endopelvic cavity. In the specific case of pelvic sidewall involvement, a laterally extended pelvic resection may be required. As previously defined by Höckel, this resection requires the en bloc removal of structures including the pelvic sidewall muscles, bones, nerves, and/or major vessels. This complex radical procedure leads to tumor-free margins in more than 75% of the patients, with reliable functional results. The rate of recurrence and overall survival are directly correlated with clear resection margins. Progress in imaging, surgical techniques, and perioperative care currently offer the opportunity to attempt surgical curative resection in selected patients for whom palliative therapy was the only alternative. However, the procedure is associated with a high rate of major postoperative complications affecting up to 60% of patients. Multidisciplinary expert centers are the most likely to achieve this complex surgery with favorable oncological outcomes. The aim of this review is to summarize the key issues of out-of-the-box surgery in gynecologic cancer.

Opportunities and Limitations of Pelvic Exenteration Surgery

PURPOSE

The practice of exenterative surgery is sometimes controversial and has garnered a certain scepticism. Surgical studies are difficult to conduct due to insufficient data. The aim of this review is to present the current standing of pelvic exenteration from a surgical, gynaecological and urological point of view.

METHODS

This review is based upon a literature review (MEDLINE (PubMed), CENTRAL (Cochrane) and EMBASE (Elsevier)) of retrospective studies on exenterative surgery from 1993-2020. Using MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) search terms, 1572 publications were found. These were evaluated and screened with respect to their eligibility using algorithms and well-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Therefore, the guidelines for systematic reviews (PRISMA) were used.

RESULTS

A complete tumour resection (R0) often represents the only curative option for advanced pelvic carcinomas and their recurrences. A recent systematic review showed significant symptom relief in 80% of palliative patients after pelvic exenteration. Surgical limitations (distant metastases, involvement of the pelvic wall, etc.) are diminished by adequate surgical expertise and close interdisciplinary cooperation. While the mortality rate is low (2-5%), the still relatively high morbidity rate (32-84%) can be minimized by optimizing the perioperative setting. Following exenterations, roughly 79-82% of patients report satisfying results according to PROs (patient-reported outcomes).

CONCLUSION

Due to multimodality treatment strategies combined with extended surgical expertise and patients' preferences, pelvic exenteration can be offered nowadays with low mortality and acceptable postoperative quality of life. The possibilities of surgical treatment are often underestimated. A multi-centre database (PelvEx Collaborative) was established to collect data and experiences to optimize the research in this field.

Pelvic Exenteration for Anal and Urogenital Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Experience and Outcomes from an Exenteration Unit Over 12 Years

BACKGROUND

Pelvic exenteration has increasingly been shown to improve disease-free and overall survival for patients with locally advanced pelvic malignancies. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common pelvic malignancy requiring exenteration.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to report the clinical and oncological outcomes from patients treated with pelvic exenteration for anal and urogenital SCC from a single, high-volume unit.

METHODS

A review of a prospectively maintained database from 1991 to 2018 at a high-volume specialised institution was performed. Primary endpoints included R0 resection rates, local recurrence and overall survival (OS) rates.

RESULTS

From January 1999 to July 2018, 361 patients underwent pelvic exenteration of which 31 patients were identified with SCC (15 anal SCC, 16 urogenital SCC). The majority of patients were females (n = 24, 77.4%). Median age was 59 (range 35-81). Twenty-seven patients underwent resection with curative intent with an R0 resection rate of 81.5%. Four patients underwent a palliative procedure [R1 = 3 (8%), R2 = 1 (3.3%)]. Mean hospital length of stay was 32 days (range 8-122 days). Disease-free survival was significantly increased in anal SCC with no significant difference in OS compared to urogenital SCC (p = 0.03, p = 0.447 respectively). Advanced pathological T stage was associated with decreased OS (p = 0.023). In the curative intent group the disease-free survival and OS rate was 59.3% and 70% at 24 months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Complete R0 resection is achievable in a high proportion of patients. Urogenital SCC is associated with significantly worse disease-free survival, and advanced T-stage was a significant prognostic factor for OS.

Comparison of postoperative complications and quality of life between patients undergoing continent versus non-continent urinary diversion after pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancies

BACKGROUND

Pelvic exenteration and its reconstructive techniques have been associated with high postoperative morbidity and a negative impact on patient quality of life. The aim of our study was to compare postoperative complications and quality of life in patients undergoing continent compared with non-continent urinary diversion after pelvic exenteration for gynecologic malignancies.

METHODS

We designed a multicenter study of patients from 10 centers who underwent an anterior or total pelvic exenteration with urinary reconstruction for histologically confirmed persistent or recurrent gynecologic malignancy after previous treatment with radiotherapy. From January 2005 to September 2008, we included patients retrospectively, and from September 2008 to May 2009, patients were included prospectively which allowed collection of quality of life data. Demographic, surgical, and follow-up data were analyzed. Postoperative complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Quality of life was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC)-QLQ-C30 (V.3.0) and EORTC-QLQ-OV28 quality of life questionnaires. We compared patients who underwent a continent urinary diversion with those who underwent a non-continent reconstruction.

RESULTS

We included 148 patients, 92 retrospectively and 56 prospectively. Among them, 77.4% had recurrent disease and 22.6% persistent disease after the primary treatment. In 70 patients, a urinary continent diversion was performed, and 78 patients underwent a non-continent diversion. Median age of the continent and incontinent groups was 53.5 (range 33-78) years and 57 (26-79) years, respectively. There were no significant differences between the continent and non-continent groups in median length of hospitalization (28.5 vs 26 days, P=0.19), postoperative grade III-IV complications (42.9% vs 42.3%, P=0.95), complications needing surgical (27.9% vs 34.6%, P=0.39) or radiological (14.7% vs 12.8%, P=0.74) intervention, and complication type (digestive (23.2% vs 16.7%, P=0.32) and urinary (15.9% vs 16.7%, P=0.91)). There were no significant differences between the groups in global health, global quality of life, and body image perception scores 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSION

Continent and incontinent urinary reconstructions are equivalent in terms of postoperative complications and quality of life scores.