The Use of "Optimal Cytoreduction" Nomenclature in Ovarian Cancer Literature: Can We Move Toward a More Optimal Classification System?

abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study is to explore how cytoreductive surgical outcomes such as residual disease (RD) and use of the term "optimal cytoreduction" (OCR) have changed over time in the ovarian cancer literature.

Conclusions: Optimal cytoreduction terminology remains ambiguous and inconsistently used in the ovarian cancer surgical literature. On the basis of this literature review, we propose a novel classification system to categorize RD without reference to OCR while accurately and succinctly identifying meaningful clinical subgroups and minimizing bias.