Simplified Selection Criteria for Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery in Recurrent Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

(1) Background: Multiple confounding factors influence the indications for secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) in patients with ovarian cancer (OC). We aimed to identify the factors associated with patients most likely to benefit from SCS. (2) Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer from 2003 to 2021. The potential factors influencing treatment outcomes and survival between patients who received chemotherapy alone and those who received SCS after recurrence were evaluated. (3) Results: Recurrent OC was identified in 262 patients, with a median age of 53 (20-80) years. Of these patients, 87.4% had an initial stage III/IV disease. Eighty-nine (34%) patients received SCS. The median survival was 41.0 (95% confidence interval [CI], 37.4-44.5) months and 88.0 (95% CI, 64.2-111.7) months in the chemotherapy and surgery groups, respectively. A multivariate analysis showed limited regional carcinomatosis (single region or up to three regions with limited carcinomatosis) (p = 0.045) as the only significant factor for predicting no residual disease after SCS. In platinum-sensitive recurrent patients with limited regional recurrence, the complete resection rate was 87.6%. (4) Conclusions: SCS had a significant impact on survival in the selected patient population. Limited regional recurrence (single region or up to three regions with limited carcinomatosis) may be a simple criterion for SCS in platinum-sensitive recurrent OC patients.