The Influence of the Preoperative Status on the Risk of Postoperative Complications After Cytoreductive Surgery for Advanced-stage Ovarian Cancer

Association between Energy Balance-Related Factors and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence in patients with ovarian cancer at diagnosis and/or during first-line treatment on; (i) the association of body weight, body composition, diet, exercise, sedentary behavior, or physical fitness with clinical outcomes; and (ii) the effect of exercise and/or dietary interventions. Methods: Risk of bias assessments and best-evidence syntheses were completed. Meta-analyses were performed when ≥3 papers presented point estimates and variability measures of associations or effects. Results: Body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis was not significantly associated with survival. Although the following trends were not supported by the best-evidence syntheses, the meta-analyses revealed that a higher BMI was associated with a higher risk of post-surgical complications (n = 5, HR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.06−2.51, p = 0.030), a higher muscle mass was associated with a better progression-free survival (n = 3, HR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.04−1.91, p = 0.030) and a higher muscle density was associated with a better overall survival (n = 3, HR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.62−2.79, p < 0.001). Muscle measures were not significantly associated with surgical or chemotherapy-related outcomes. Conclusions: The prognostic value of baseline BMI for clinical outcomes is limited, but muscle mass and density may have more prognostic potential. High-quality studies with comprehensive reporting of results are required to improve our understanding of the prognostic value of body composition measures for clinical outcomes. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO identifier CRD42020163058.

The impact of body composition on treatment in ovarian cancer: a current insight

INTRODUCTION

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remains the most lethal of gynecological cancers. Sarcopenia and low Skeletal Muscle Radiodensity (SMD) are highly prevalent in EOC. Cross sectional imaging via MRI and CT are considered the gold standard for quantification of muscle mass and muscle density. Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) and SMD-based thresholds for sarcopenia in EOC vary significantly and specific EOC thresholds for sarcopenia have not been defined.

AREAS COVERED

Sarcopenia and low SMD are highly prevalent in EOC affecting between 11-68% and 21-35% of women, respectively. SMD may be a better prognostic biomarker in ovarian cancer than SMI. Reduced SMI and SMD may also influence the risk of postoperative complications but further studies are required. There is increasing evidence that sarcopenia increases during neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

EXPERT COMMENTARY

Prehabilitation studies in surgical oncology indicate encouraging results, such as, maintenance of SMI, reduced length of stay and surgical complication rates, improved health-related quality of life and functional capacity. Early identification of body composition abnormalities would permit targeted intervention prior to, and after surgery. Cross-sectional imaging is routinely used for staging and surveillance of EOC patients and hence assessment of body composition abnormalities is possible and an underutilized resource.

A Zn(ii)–organic cage with semirigid ligand for solvent-free cyanosilylation and inhibitory effect on ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion ability via regulating mi-RNA16 expression

[Zn6(L)4(DMF)2(H2O)4](1,4-Dioxane)2(DMF)10(H2O)4 (1, L  =  4,4′,4″-(benzene-1,3,5-triyltris(oxy))tribenzoate), the metal-organic cage, was produced via Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reacting with the H3L ligand in the mixed solvent of DMF and water. The heterogeneous catalytic activities of the complex 1 for the aldehydes cyanidation under the conditions of free solvent were studied, which indicates that the removal of coordination solvents could greatly improve the catalytic activities. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of the compound against the ovarian cancer cells was assessed. The mi-RNA16 relative expression level was measured after exposure to the compound with real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The invasion and migration of cells after compound treatment were also detected by the transwell method.

Value of pre-existent bacterial colonization in patients with advanced/relapsed ovarian neoplasms undergoing cytoreductive surgery: a multicenter observational study (BONSAI)

OBJECTIVE

As an increasing number of patients with advanced/relapsed ovarian cancer need extensive cytoreductive procedures, there is an increasing number of complex cases collected in accredited tertiary cancer centers. With nosocomial infections and bacterial colonizations being a significant challenge in these patient cohorts, we aimed to evaluate the risk such infections pose to surgical outcome.

METHODS

Prospective assessment of pathological bacterial colonization (vaginal, umbilical/groin, intraperitoneal, urine, oral/nose cavity) in patients who underwent open cytoreductive surgery for advanced/relapsed ovarian cancer in two large European tertiary referral centers for gynecologic malignancies. We recruited patients at initial diagnosis with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III and IV ovarian cancer and patients undergoing surgery for relapse. Swabs or cultures were taken from the following sites: vagina, groin and/or umbilicus, urine, intraperitoneal, mouth and/or nose. Only evidence of pathogenic bacteria was considered positive for bacterial colonization.

RESULTS

A total of 172 primary advanced (70.9%) or relapsed (29.1%) ovarian cancer patients were included; 63.4% of them had received chemotherapy±additional targeted agents (16.3%) by the time of cytoreduction. 39.5% of the patients had a long-term vascular access line in situ. A bowel resection was performed in 44.8% and a splenectomy in 16.3% of the patients. Predefined surgical morbidity and mortality were 22.3% and 0%, respectively. Forty-one patients (23.8%) screened positive for pathogenic bacterial colonization with the presence of long-term intravenous access as the only independent risk factor identified (OR 2.34; 95% CI 1.05 to 5.34; p=0.04). Type of systemic treatments, previous bowel resections, previous hospitalizations, and patient demographics did not appear to significantly impact the risk of bacterial colonization. Furthermore, pathogenic bacterial colonization was shown to have no significant effect on peri-operative infection-related complications such as abscesses, wound infection, pneumonia, relaparotomy, or anastomotic leak.

CONCLUSIONS

A total of 24% of patients undergoing cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer were confirmed positive for pathogenic bacterial colonization. The presence of long-term intravenous access was identified as the only significant risk factor for that, however the presence of pathogenic bacterial colonization per se did not seem to adversely affect outcome of cytoreductive effort or increase perioperative infection related complications.

Right Upper Abdominal Resections in Advanced Stage Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

The right upper abdominal involvement is frequently encountered in patients with advanced stage ovarian cancer. The aim of this paper is to study the safety and efficacy of extended resections at this level as well as to determine the sites of residual disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 2016 and December 2019, 26 patients submitted to right upper abdominal resections were identified.

RESULTS

Peritoneal stripping and full thickness resections were the most commonly performed resections (in 57% and 19% of cases, respectively), followed by capsular liver resection and atypical liver resection (in 30% and 23% of cases, respectively) while the most common sites where resection was incomplete were the liver pedicle and porta hepatis. Exceptionally, one case necessitated performing a pancreatoduodenectomy as part of debulking surgery. Postoperatively, two cases developed serious complications and required reintervention; however, the overall mortality was null.

CONCLUSION

Right upper abdominal resections seem to be feasible and effective in order to maximize the debulking effort with acceptable risks arising from perioperative complications.