Collaborative expertise of gynecological and surgical oncologists in managing advanced epithelial ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Most patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) present with significant peritoneal spread. We assessed collaborative efforts of surgical and gynecological oncologists with expertise in cytoreductive surgery (CRS) in the management of advanced EOC.

METHODS

Using a prospective single-center database (2014-2022), we described the operative and oncologic outcomes of stage IIIC-IVA primary and recurrent EOC perioperatively managed jointly by gynecological and surgical oncologists both specializing in CRS and presented components of this collaboration.

RESULTS

Of 199 identified patients, 132 (66 %) had primary and 53 (27 %) had recurrent EOC. Due to inoperable disease, 14 (7 %) cases were aborted and excluded from analysis. Median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) in primary and recurrent patients was 21 (IQR: 11-28) and 21 (IQR: 6-31). Upper abdominal surgery was required in 95 % (n = 125) of primary and 89 % (n = 47) of recurrent patients. Bowel resections were performed in 83 % (n = 110) and 72 % (n = 38), respectively. Complete cytoreduction (CC-0/1) with no disease or residual lesions <2.5 mm was achieved in 95 % (n = 125) of primary and 91 % (n = 48) of recurrent patients. Ninety-day Clavien-Dindo grade III-IV morbidity was 12 % (n = 16) and 21 % (n = 11), respectively. Median follow-up was 44 (95%CI: 33-55) months. Median overall survival in primary and recurrent EOC was 68 (95%CI: 45-91) and 50 (95%CI: 16-84) months. Median progression-free survival was 26 (95%CI: 22-30) and 14 (95%CI: 7-21) months, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Perioperative collaboration between surgical and gynecological oncologists specializing in CRS allows safe performance of complete cytoreduction in the majority of patients with primary and recurrent EOC, despite high tumor burden.

Building an Efficient Peritoneal Surface Malignancies Program Despite the Lower-Middle-Income Barriers: Ukraine Experience

PURPOSE

Cytoreductive surgery/hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) programs are often limited to centers in developed countries because of extensive requirements. We aimed to analyze efficacy and challenges of CRS/HIPEC centers in lower-middle-income settings in the Ukraine example.

METHODS

A multicenter descriptive study was conducted using data sets (2008-2022) from Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa centers. Patients with appendiceal neoplasm (AN); colorectal cancer (CRC); malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM); and epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer (EOC) treated with CRS ± HIPEC were included. Overall survival (OS) was analyzed for N ≥ 20 cohorts using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

We included 596 patients. At Kyiv and Lviv centers, 37 and 28 patients with AN had completeness of cytoreduction (CC-0/1) rates of 84% and 71%, respectively. Thirty-day major morbidity stood at 24% and 18%, respectively. Median OS was not reached (NR) at both centers. Nineteen patients with CRC from Kyiv, 11 from Lviv, and 156 from Odesa had CC-0/1 rates of 84%, 91%, and 86%, respectively. Thirty-day major complications occurred in 16%, 18%, and 8%, respectively. Median OS in the Odesa cohort was 35 (95% CI, 32 to 38) months. Among 15 Kyiv, five Lviv, and six Odesa patients with MPM, CC-0/1 rates were 67%, 80%, and 100%, respectively, while major complications occurred in 13%, 0%, and 17%, respectively. OS was not analyzed because of small MPM cohorts. At Kyiv, Lviv, and Odesa centers, 91, 40, and 89 patients, respectively, had primary EOC. CC-0/1 rates were 79%, 100%, and 80%, and 30-day major morbidity rates were 23%, 5%, and 6%, respectively. Median OS was NR, 71 (95% CI, 32 to 110), and 67 (95% CI, 61 to 73) months, respectively.

CONCLUSION

CRS/HIPEC programs in lower-middle-income environment can achieve safety and survival that meet global standards. Our discussion highlights common obstacles in such settings and proposes effective overcoming strategies.

Patterns of Recurrence in Appendix Cancer After Complete Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

It is thought that low-grade (LG) appendiceal cancer (AC) demonstrates predominantly intraperitoneal recurrence (IPR) after cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC), whereas high-grade (HG) tumors progress both intra- and extraperitoneally (EPR). However, evidence supporting this conception is lacking; therefore, we assessed recurrence in various AC histologies.

METHODS

A retrospective, cohort study was conducted by using a single-center database (1998-2022). Recurrence patterns (IPR, EPR, combined) were identified for LG, HG, high-grade with signet ring cells (SRC), and goblet cell carcinoma (GCC).

RESULTS

We included 432 complete (CC-0/1) CRS/HIPECs: 200 LG, 114 HG, 72 SRC, and 46 GCC. Median follow-up was 78 (95% confidence interval [CI] 70-86) months. Overall, 34% (n = 148) of patients recurred. IPR was the most common (LG 16%, HG 27%, SRC 36%, GCC 26%) with median time to recurrence (MTR) of 21 (IQR: 12-40) months. EPR (liver, lung, pleura, lymph nodes, or bones) occurred in LG 3%, HG 9%, SRC 22%, and GCC 7%. MTR was 11 (IQR: 4-16) months. Combined pattern occurred in LG 0%, HG 8%, SRC 7%, and GCC 0%. MTR was 13 (IQR: 7-18) months. Iterative surgery was performed in 53% IPR, 18% EPR, and 51% combined. Median post-recurrence survival was longer after IPR compared with EPR and combined recurrence: 36 (95% CI 25-47) versus 13 (95% CI 7-19) and 18 (95% CI 6-30) months (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

After complete CRS/HIPEC, IPR was the predominant pattern in all AC histologies and occurred later. Post-recurrence survival after IPR was longer. Knowing AC recurrence patterns can help to understand its biology and plan follow-up and post-relapse management.

Early postoperative CRP predicts major complications following cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Objectives

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is associated with significant postoperative complications. Early detection of at-risk patients may lead to improved outcomes. The role of C-reactive protein (CRP) in predicting postoperative complications has only been recently investigated.

Methods

Postoperative complications were categorized according to Clavien-Dindo classification and further divided into minor (Grade <3) and major complications (Grade ≥3A). Absolute CRP counts (mg/L) on postoperative days (POD) 1-7, and proportional change in CRP was compared and the area under (AUC) receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was calculated. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed. Significant findings were externally validated.

Results

Twenty-five percent of patients experienced one or more major complications. A CRP level of ≥106 mg/L on POD 2 and 65.5 mg/L on POD 4 were significantly associated with an increased risk of major complications with an AUC of 0.658 and 0.672, respectively. The proportional increase in CRP between POD 1 and 4 (ΔCRP POD 1/4) at a cut-off of 30 % had the best AUC of 0.744 and was the only independent risk factor for major complications (p<0.0001) on multivariate analysis. ∆CRP had an AUC of 0.716 (p=0.002) when validated in an independent database.

Conclusions

CRP can be used in a variety of ways to predict major complications after CRS and HIPEC. However, the ∆CRP POD 1/4>30 % is the best indicator of major complications. Serial CRP measurements in the early postoperative period may lead to early detection of patients at risk of major complications allowing for alternative management strategies to improve outcomes.

Safety of Nephrectomy Performed During CRS/HIPEC: A Propensity Score-Matched Study

BACKGROUND

Surgeons may hesitate to perform nephrectomy (NE) during cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) due to a potential increase in morbidity. However, no data are available regarding the impact of NE on outcomes, so the authors decided to assess its safety during CRS/HIPEC.

METHODS

A single-center propensity score-matched study was conducted using a prospective database (1994-2021). The study included patients who underwent NE during CRS/HIPEC with completeness of cytoreduction (CC) of 0, 1, or 2. Control subjects (no-NE) were selected in a 1:3 ratio using propensity score-matching weighted by age, histology, peritoneal cancer index (PCI), CC-0 or CC-1 rate, and length of surgery.

RESULTS

Among 828 patients, 13 NE and 39 no-NE control subjects were identified. The indications for NE included tumor involvement of the ureter, hilum, and/or kidney with preserved (n = 8), decreased (n = 2), or absent (n = 3) function. NE patients received more intraoperative intravenous (IV) fluids (16,000 vs 11,500 mL; p = 0.045) and had a greater urine output (3200 vs 1913 mL; p = 0.008). NE patients received mitomycin C (40 mg for 90 min) or melphalan (50 mg/m² for 90 min) without reduction of dose or time. Major morbidity (p = 0.435) and mortality (p = 1.000) were comparable between the two groups. No postoperative acute kidney injury was seen in either group. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered to 46.2% of the NE and 35.9% of the no-NE patients (p = 0.553), with similar starting times (p = 0.903) between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Nephrectomy performed during CRS/HIPEC does not seem to increase postoperative morbidity or to delay adjuvant chemotherapy, and NE can be performed if required for complete cytoreduction. The NE patients in our cohort did not have a reduction of mitomycin C or melphalan dose or perfusion time.

Iterative Cytoreduction and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy for Recurrent Mucinous Adenocarcinoma of the Appendix

BACKGROUND

Recurrence after cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for appendiceal tumors (AT) with mucinous carcinomatosis peritonei (MCP) is common. The evidence favoring iterative procedures (iCRS/HIPEC) is limited, and its benefit is not clear for all patients.

METHODS

Retrospective (1998-2020) cohorts of AT patients with MCP recurrence after the first CRS/HIPEC were analyzed. Outcomes were compared within tumor grades between iCRS/HIPEC patients and matched control patients without iCRS/HIPEC using propensity score matching (1:1). Post-recurrence survival (PRS) was measured from the date of recurrence after the first CRS/HIPEC to death or last contact.

RESULTS

Overall, 55 iCRS/HIPEC patients were identified: 36 low-grade (LGMCP) patients, 13 high-grade (HGMCP) patients, and 6 HGMCP patients with signet-ring features (HGMCP-S). Nine patients had a third CRS/HIPEC. The median peritoneal cancer index (PCI) scores were 33, 19 and 10, with CC-0/1 achieved for 94.4%, 78.2% and 88.9% of the patients after the first, second, and third CRS/HIPEC, respectively. No 90-day postoperative mortality occurred. The median progression-free survival from the first CRS/HIPEC was 19.7 months for the iCRS/HIPEC patients versus 14.2 months for the matched control patients (p = 0.43). The median PRS was 80.2 months for iCRS/HIPEC versus 36.2 for the control patients (p < 0.001). For the iCRS/HIPEC versus the matched control patients, the median PRS by tumor grade was 174.1 versus 51.9 (p < 0.001) for the LGMCP, 42.0 versus 12.4 (p = 0.02) for the HGMCP, and 15.4 versus 8.1 months (p = 0.61) for the HGMCP-S patients, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Selected low- and high-grade appendiceal cancer patients with MCP recurrence able to undergo iterative CRS/HIPEC procedures showed favorable outcomes and such patients should be considered for surgery when feasible. This survival benefit with iCRS/HIPEC is not evidenced in recurrent MCP with signet ring cell morphology.

Surgical and oncological outcomes after cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy at a nonacademic center: 25-year experience

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC) is predominantly performed and studied in academic centers. While developing CRS/HIPEC programs in nonacademic hospitals can increase accessibility, its safety and oncological efficacy remains unclear. We evaluated CRS/HIPEC outcomes in a nonacademic setting.

METHODS

A single-center descriptive study was conducted using a prospective database. Data of all CRS/HIPEC attempts in peritoneal surface malignancies (PSM) patients from October 1994 to November 2019 were extracted. Surgical and survival outcomes were measured. Center experience was assessed by quartiles of cases.

RESULTS

Overall, 856 patients underwent 948 CRS/HIPEC attempts: 788 (83%) completed CRS/HIPECs, 144 (15%) aborted HIPECs, and 16 (2%) complete cytoreductions (CC-0/1) without chemoperfusion. For completed CRS/HIPECs, median peritoneal cancer index was 24 (interquartile range: 10-33) and CC-0/1 rate was 88%. Major complications occurred in 23.5% with 30- and 100-day mortality of 1.0% and 2.3%, respectively. Median overall survival was 68 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 50-86). Median progression-free survival was 37 months (95%CI: 28-46). Incomplete cytoreduction and major complication rates decreased over time, while mortality remained low and constant.

CONCLUSIONS

CRS/HIPEC at a nonacademic center with advanced surgical and auxiliary services is a safe option to treat PSM with favorable surgical and oncological outcomes.