Interval cytoredutive surgery and HIPEC in advanced ovarian cancer with small-bowel disease: results and reflections

Introduction Small-bowel involvement in patients with ovarian cancer has been strongly correlated with the possibility of cytoreduction and thus with survival. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of small-bowel involvement in patients undergoing optimal-complete interval cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC). Methods We included a series of patients diagnosed with stage IIIC-IVA (pleural effusion) high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer and in whom CRS + HIPEC was indicated after neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy (NACT). The study period extended from January 2008 to January 2020, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months from the inclusion of the last patient. A multivariate analysis using Cox regression allowed us to identify the variables that were independently related to disease-free survival. Results A total of 144 patients were selected, 13 (9%) of whom were excluded from the analysis, because their disease was considered unresectable. The study included a series of 131 patients with a median age of 62 years (34–79 years) and a median Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI) calculated during surgery of 9 (1–35). The median PCI of bowel areas 9–12 (SB-PCI) was 3 (1–10). Performance of a CC-1 cytoreduction (HR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.02–3.64, p = 0.042) and SB-PCI greater than 3 (HR: 2.25, 95%CI: 1.13–4.48, p = 0.21) were independent factors associated with shorter disease-free survival. Conclusion Small-bowel involvement, even in patients with a macroscopically complete resection, showed a correlation with worse prognostic outcomes and could be considered as a variable in the postoperative management of these patients.