abstract: Re-operation outcome in patients referred to a gynecologic oncology center with presumed ovarian cancer FIGO I-IIIA after sub-standard initial surgery

Blogger's Note: 

1)  this issue is not a new issue irrespective of country origin

2)  it would be helpful if a timely comprehensive study be done (retrospective) on the fatality rates, stage and pathology, and  according to surgeon/upstaging required via eg. national registries albeit the data bases most likely are lacking; until mandates are in place requiring specific surgical skills in surgical oncology these practices will continue (past and future decades)

 Abstract  

Background

Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for early ovarian cancer both as therapeutic and comprehensive staging. Only the latter allows appropriate tailoring of systemic treatment. However, the compliance with guidelines for comprehensive staging has been reported to be only moderate and, therefore, re-staging procedures are commonly indicated to avoid undertreatment. The purpose of our study was to evaluate re-operation (2nd surgery) in a tertiary gynecologic oncology unit after primary operation for presumably ovarian cancer FIGO I-IIIA in general gynecology departments. Only 5 patients (13%) were classified as having had a comprehensive staging by surgical records and pathology reports and 35 patients underwent comprehensive re-staging laparotomy after which 20 patients (50%) experienced an upstaging including 13 patients with final diagnosis of FIGO stage IIIC.

Results

40 patients were enrolled of whom 53% came by self-referral. Only 18% were referred by the primary surgeon and the remaining patients were referred by their home gynecologist..........

Conclusion

Comprehensive staging of presumed early ovarian cancer has been described as major problem especially outside gynecologic oncology units. Re-staging results in our department confirmed this deficiency by showing a considerable proportion of upstaging associated with alterations of recommendations for systemic treatment. However, series like this may even underestimate the problem, because incomplete staging is unfortunately accompanied by non-systematic referral practices not reflecting staging quality.