Value of Diaphragmatic Surgery During Interval Debulking Surgery.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the value of diaphragmatic surgery to achieve optimal debulking in patients with advanced ovarian cancer treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the medical records of 182 patients. Diaphragmatic surgery was performed during interval debulking surgery (IDS) in 74 patients between January 2002 and December 2014. The patients were divided in 2 groups: with or without histological residual diaphragmatic disease. The time-course of serum CA125 levels, cytoreductive outcome, overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were analyzed. Patients without diaphragmatic peritonectomy (DP) during IDS were included in the survival analysis.

RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two (72.5%) patients had FIGO stage III disease and 43 (23.6%) patients had stage IV disease. Histological examination of DP was positive in 45 patients and negative in 29 patients. CA125 normalization after the 3rd cycle of NAC was significantly associated with negative DP. OS tended to be higher in the DP-negative group (37.8 months vs 19 months, p=0.1). Median OS was 40.7 months in the case of IDS without DP and 22 months in the case of IDS with DP (p=0.048).

CONCLUSION: Evaluation of residual diaphragmatic disease can be difficult after NAC. The CA125 tumor marker appears to be a useful tool to define the indications for DP. Diaphragmatic surgery after NAC may be of limited value.