The impact of splenectomy and diaphragmatic surgery on perioperative morbidity and overall survival of ovarian cancer patients.

Objectives: The prognosis of ovarian cancer (OC), among other factors, depends on residual disease after primary debulking surgery (PDS) and initial disease advancement. The main aim of our study was to evaluate the survival benefits of splenectomy and diaphragmatic surgery in OC patients, when the procedures result in resection to no macroscopic residual disease or minimal residual disease [tumor nodules below 2.5 mm according to Sugarbaker's completeness of cytoreduction score (CC) = 1].

Material and methods: The study included 25 OC patients after splenectomy procedures, 28 patients after diaphragmatic surgery and 17 patients who had undergone both splenectomy and diaphragmatic surgery. Patients' overall survival (OS) was compared with residual disease-matched controls (47 patients) who had upper abdomen involvement but no requirement for splenectomy and/or diaphragmatic surgery.

Results: Overall survival of patients after splenectomy was not significantly different from OS of patients who did not required splenectomy (36.1 vs 31.6 months; p = 0.85). No differences in OS were observed between patients who did and did not require diaphragmatic surgery (31.3 vs 41.8; p = 0.33). Similarly, we found no differences in OS between patients who underwent both splenectomy and diaphragmatic surgery and those patients who did not require either procedure (20.1 vs 31.6 months; p = 0.45). Splenectomies and diaphragmatic surgeries were associated with prolonged hospitalization and length of surgery, however, no specific morbidity related to the procedures was observed.

Conclusions: In the cases of advanced OC, diaphragm and spleen involvement do not hamper patient prognosis when adequately resected.