Prognostic Significance of Splenectomy as Part of Initial Cytoreductive Surgery in Ovarian Cancer

Note:  a similar paper regarding splenectomy - posted on this blog Sept 6, 2010




PURPOSE: 
 We sought to examine how splenectomy as part of up-front cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer influences the postoperative course and affects survival.

CONCLUSIONS: 
 The addition of splenectomy to up-front cytoreductive surgery was feasible and safe. However, it appears to carry with it a shortened survival that is unrelated to postoperative morbidity. Our data raise the questions that splenectomy is needed for optimal cytoreduction in more biologically aggressive disease and that splenectomy may be an independent prognostic factor related to depressed immune function.

Journal of Gynecologic Surgery: Splenectomy in Cytoreductive Surgery for Advanced Ovarian Cancer and Subsequent Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the ability of patients with advanced ovarian cancer to tolerate intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy after having undergone optimal cytoreductive surgery (OCRS) requiring splenectomy.
Conclusions: Patients who undergo splenectomy at the time of OCRS are just as able as those who do not have a splenectomy to complete a full course of IP chemotherapy. The median PFS is comparable in the two groups.