Sara Forte

Complications of HIPEC for ovarian cancer surgery: evaluation over two time periods

Cytoreductive surgery in conjunction with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is being explored in the upfront, interval, and recurrent setting in patients with ovarian cancer. The objective of this systematic review was to assess the rate of complications associated with HIPEC in epithelial ovarian cancer surgery over two time periods. This study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022328928). A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Ovid/Medline, Ovid/Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from January 2004 to April 2022. We included studies reporting on patients with advanced primary or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC. We evaluated two different time periods: 2004-2013 and 2014-2022. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to produce an overall summary. Subgroup analyses were planned according to recruited period for each specific complication type. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I A total of 4928 patients were included from 69 studies for this systematic review; 19 published from 2004-2013, and 50 published from 2014-2022. No significant differences were found between the two time periods in terms of blood transfusions (33% vs 51%; p=0.46; I Our review showed that overall complications have not changed over time for patients undergoing HIPEC in the setting of primary or recurrent ovarian cancer. There was no decrease in the rates of ICU admissions, reoperations, or deaths.

Extra-abdominal ovarian cancer presenting with breast metastases at diagnosis: Case report and literature review

Malignant ovarian tumours are diagnosed at an advanced stage in the majority of cases. However, only a small percentage present as extra-abdominal, non-lymph-node solid metastases, as in the breast, and they are usually cases of relapse. The discovery of mono- or bilateral breast lesions with peritoneal carcinosis and/or abdomino-pelvic lesions can be cumbersome in the differential diagnosis of primary tumours. This article aims to summarize current evidence on the detection of breast metastases at diagnosis of ovarian cancer. A systematic review of the literature in Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, ScienceDirect and the Cochrane Library, including case reports and case series, was undertaken. Data regarding study features; population characteristics; clinical, radiological and histological assessment of the disease; treatment and follow-up were collected. In addition, a case report of a patient managed at the authors' centre is provided. According to the search strategy, 16 articles (18 patients) were included in this review. Serous ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer was detected in 61% of cases, while another type or a non-specified type of epithelial ovarian cancer was detected in 27.7% of cases; there was one case with granulosa cell tumour of the ovary and one case with mucinous ovarian tumour of low malignant potential. Breast metastases were mainly monolateral (66.6%), with other extra-abdominal sites of disease in the majority of the cases. A minority of patients (16.6%) received treatment for primary breast cancer with a subsequent diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Concomitant breast and abdominal surgery can be an option. PAX8, WT1 and CA125 immunohistochemical staining can aid in differential diagnosis. Breast metastases of malignant ovarian tumours must be promptly recognized to ensure proper treatment. Specific immunohistochemical analysis can be a decisive assessment in uncertain cases.

Risks factors for anastomotic leakage in advanced ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarise the available evidence on the pre- and intra-operative risk factors for anastomotic leakage (AL) after bowel resection and anastomosis for ovarian cancer (OC). We searched online databases from Pubmed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library from inception to October 2020. Pre- and intra-operative risk factors for AL were considered as the primary outcomes. Research heterogeneity and bias were evaluated by I The overall AL rate after OC surgery (median ± SD) was 5.3 ± 12% (277 AL on 5178 anastomoses). Thirteen non-randomised studies were included in the meta-analysis enrolling a total of 3274 patients. Pre albumin level ≤ 3 gr/dl, multiple bowel resections and primary cytoreductive surgery were associated with a significantly high risk of AL with a pooled OR of 5.29 (95% CI: 1.51-18.59), OR = 4.4 (95% CI: 1.19-16.66) and OR = 1.71 (95% CI: 1.05-2.77), respectively. Optimal cytoreduction, ASA score, ascites, and protective stoma were not associated with an increased risk of AL. Based on the best available evidence, preoperative albumin level <3 gr/dl, multiple bowel resections and primary cytoreductive surgery were associated with an increased risk for AL after bowel surgery for OC.

The PREPARE Study: Acceptability and Feasibility of a Telehealth Trimodal Prehabilitation Program for Women with Endometrial Neoplasia

Patients with endometrial neoplasia (EN) often have multiple comorbidities and a higher surgical risk. Prehabilitation programs (PPs) combine various interventions to improve preoperative conditions and reduce impairment due to surgical stress. We conducted a pragmatic pilot study to evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of a trimodal telehealth PP (exercise, nutrition, and psychological support) for EN patients. The participants could select their exercise group: (1) a supervised PP (SPP), group sessions 3×/week; (2) a semi-supervised PP (SSPP), group session 1×/week, training alone 2×/week; or (3) a physical activity counseling session (PACS). Out of the 150 EN patients awaiting surgery screened during the 18 months of the study recruitment, 66% (99/150) were eligible, and 40% consented to participate (SPP, n = 13; SSPP, n = 17; PACS, n = 9). The overall dropout was low (13%; 5/39), with no significant differences across groups. No serious adverse events occurred. We observed a positive impact on different outcomes across the different groups, such as in the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy quality of life score (SPP; delta = 6.1 [CI: 0.9; 12.6]) and functional capacity measured using the 30″ sit-to-stand test (PACS delta = 2.4 [CI: 1.2; 3.6]). The same-day hospital leave was high in the SSPP group (54.5%). Our pilot telehealth PP seems to be safe, feasible, and well accepted and may procure clinical and patient-centered gains that need to be confirmed in a larger trial.

Contribution of Preserving the Superior Left Colic Artery to the Vascularization of the Descending Colon Prior to Colorectal Anastomosis During Left-Sided or Rectal Resections for Colorectal or Ovarian Cancer. (Revascularisation Colique)

Colorectal cancers and ovarian cancers are respectively the 2nd and 5th cause of cancer mortality in France. Surgical resection is a crucial step in the therapeutic management of colorectal cancers. For advanced ovarian cancers, the objective of cytoreductive surgery is to obtain complete macroscopic resection with no visible residual disease. One or more digestive resections are often required to achieve this goal of complete surgery (usually a modified posterior pelvic exenteration with colorectal resection). A ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery at its origin is classically performed in left colectomies and rectal resection for colorectal cancers. This allows the resection of the colorectal segment with a complete mesocolic lymphadenectomy until the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery and a good mobilization of the descending colon to allow its anastomosis to the underlying rectal stump. This ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery at its origin is also frequently performed in cases of modified posterior pelvic exenteration for ovarian cancer. Recently, several studies suggest that arterial ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery could be performed below the emergence of the left colic artery. Its preservation requiring a meticulous vascular dissection would allow a better vascularization of the descending colon and of the colorectal anastomosis without affecting the carcinologic quality of the resection and the number of resected lymph-nodes. Indeed, the most feared complication during colorectal anastomosis is the anastomotic leakage whose rates are on average 15% in rectal cancer with low anastomosis and 6% in ovarian cancers. Verifying the adequate vascularization of the descending colon before performing the colorectal anastomosis is a crucial step in reducing the risk of postoperative fistula. However, quantifying this vascularization is challenging, and several techniques can be used to assess it. The gold standard technique involves measuring arterial pressure using a catheter inserted into the marginal artery of the descending colon. Other non-invasive techniques also use Doppler studies to calculate pressure in the marginal artery or assess oxygen saturation using a sterile sensor. Studies have shown that the use of indocyanine green in colorectal surgery, particularly to evaluate perfusion before the creation of an anastomosis, significantly reduces the rate of anastomotic leakage. Indocyanine green is a fluorescent dye that, after intravenous injection, binds to plasma proteins and allows tissue perfusion to be visualized using a fluorescence system. The objective of this project is to show that the preservation of the left colic artery is possible and allows a better vascularization of the descending colon before colorectal anastomosis.