Is There a Role for Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Peritoneal Carcinomatosis Due to Uterine Cancer?

Abstract

Background: Uterine canceris one of the most common pelvic tumors in females. Advanced stage uterine cancer only represents 15% of newly diagnosed cases; however, they are related with poor prognosis. Our aim was to analyze the benefits of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in peritoneal carcinomatosis due to uterine cancer.

Methods: At the Istanbul Umraniye Training and Research Hospital, Surgical Oncology Clinic, morbidity, overall survival and survival without progression were analyzed over the 5-year follow up. Twenty-two cases who had undergone cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy due to uterine-peritoneal carcinomatosis were included in this study. Cases were followed up in terms of postoperative morbidity-mortality, disease-free survival and overall survival. The cut off value for the peritoneal carcinomatosis index score was set at 15. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and doxorubicin was applied to all patients for 60 min after the suturation of the abdomen.

Results: Median age of the patients was 64.6 (43-72). Average PCI score was 12.8 (3-15). CC score was 0 in 16 (72.7%) cases, 1 in 3 cases and 2 in 3 cases. Of these patients, 12 of them were previously operated upon. Median stay at the hospital was 13.1 days. No major complications due to chemotherapy were reported. A Clavien-Dindo Grade 3 complication was observed in seven (31.8%) patients. Mortality was not observed in patients during their stay at the hospital. The 5-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 36.8 (36%) months and 45.3 (57%) months, respectively.

Conclusions: We think that due to longer disease-free survival and overall survival, cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy should be preferred in peritoneal carcinomatosis due to uterine cancer patients having low peritoneal carcinomatosis index scores and manageable complication rates. However, prospective randomizedtrials with a high number of cases are needed for this subject.

Keywords: cytoreductive surgery; hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy; peritoneal carcinomatosis; uterine cancer.