Patterns of diaphragm involvement in stage 3B/3C ovarian-tubal-peritoneal epithelial cancer patients and survival outcomes

Purpose Demonstrate survival outcomes of stage 3B/3C ovarian-tubal-peritoneal epithelial cancer patients who had metastases on diaphragm. Methods 141 patients who had undergone diaphragm surgery as a part of primary cytoreductive surgery procedures performed for stage 3B and 3C ovarian-tubal-peritoneal epithelial cancers were reviewed retrospectively. Patients who were administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy and patients who were suboptimally cytoreduced were not included to the study. Results Median follow-up time was 42 months. Median overall survival of the patients who underwent diaphragm full-thickness resection (n = 18) because of tumors infiltrating diaphragm muscle was 40 months. Median overall survival of the patients who did not have a transdiaphragmatic thoracotomy (n = 113) was 77 months. Patients who underwent a willful full-thickness diaphragm resection because of tumors invading diaphragm muscle had significantly shorter survival compared with patients who did not have a transdiaphragmatic thoracotomy (p = 0.033). Seven (38.9%) of the 18 patients who underwent diaphragm full-thickness resection developed a recurrence in thorax. Twelve (9.8%) of the remaining 123 patients developed a recurrence in thorax. Patients who underwent full-thickness diaphragm resection because of tumors infiltrating diaphragm muscle developed recurrence in the thorax more frequently (p = 0.001). Conclusions Diaphragm muscle involvement is a predictor of thorax recurrences and worse survival outcomes in stage 3B and 3C ovarian-tubal-peritoneal epithelial cancers. Thus, this should be considered when selecting appropriate adjuvant treatment and route of administration (intravenous/intraperitoneal) in patients who had diaphragm implants infiltrating diaphragm muscle.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that involvement of diaphragm muscle is associated with higher risk of thorax recurrences and worse survival outcomes in patients with stage 3B and 3C ovarian-tubal-peritoneal epithelial cancers, suggesting the need for careful consideration when selecting adjuvant treatments.