Pelvic Exenteration Study: Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Pelvic Exenteration for Recurrent Gynecological Malignancy

ABSTRACT

Pelvic exenteration is an ultra-radical surgical procedure that requires an en-bloc removal of some or all pelvic structures. The major indication for pelvic exenteration is a recurrent malignant pelvic tumor that has not metastasized outside the pelvis or for primary locally advanced pelvic cancer. Gynecologic pelvic exenteration has been most commonly used for recurrent cervical cancer. It may also be used for recurrent vulvar, vaginal, endometrial, ovarian cancer and pelvic sarcoma.

This study aims to describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients who underwent pelvic exenteration for recurrent gynecological malignancy.

The methodology involves the retrospective review of the patients who underwent pelvic exenteration between Jan 2007 and July 2016 in the Saskatoon Health Region. The data collected were analyzed and patient’s demographics were evaluated with the help of basic descriptive statistics. Surgical variables and other parameters such as diagnosis, treatments and complications were also taken into consideration.

It was found out that, the patients undergoing pelvic exenteration had an average age of 69 years (range, 35 to 96 years), and an average BMI of 35.4. Complete, anterior, and posterior pelvic exenteration constituted 71%, 21%, and 8% of cases, respectively. Postoperative complications, both short and long-term, were common for patients undergoing pelvic exenteration.

To summarize, pelvic exenteration is the most radical and the only optimal surgical treatment in the case of central recurrent gynecological malignant tumors. It results in significant progression-free and long-term survival in selected patients when performed with curative intent for recurrent gynecological malignancies.

Source: Anita Agrawal, Mariia Karizhenskaia, Christopher Giede, Emmanuel Kawa; Pelvic Exenteration Study: Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Pelvic Exenteration for Recurrent Gynecological Malignancy; Obstetrics & Gynecology: Open Access (ISSN: 2577-2236); Gavin Publishers; 2021.