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Ovarian Cancer
Systematic Lymphadenectomy for Survival in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Meta-Analysis
  1. Hee Seung Kim, MD*,
  2. Woong Ju, MD, PhD†,
  3. Byung Chul Jee, MD, PhD‡,
  4. Yong Beom Kim, MD, PhD‡,
  5. Noh Hyun Park, MD, PhD*,
  6. Yong Sang Song, MD, PhD*,
  7. Seung Cheol Kim, MD, PhD†,
  8. Soon-Beom Kang, MD, PhD* and
  9. Jae Weon Kim, MD, PhD*
  1. *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul;
  2. †Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ewha Woman's University College of Medicine, Seoul; and
  3. ‡Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoungnam, Korea.
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jae Weon Kim, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yeongeon-Dong, Jongno-Gu, Seoul 110-744, Korea. E-mail: kjwksh{at}snu.ac.kr.

Abstract

Background: The role of systematic lymphadenectomy (SL) remains unclear for improving overall survival (OS) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). To evaluate the role of SL in EOC, we performed a meta-analysis for comparing the efficacy for OS between SL and unsystematic lymphadenectomy (USL).

Methods: After the extensive literature search between January 1995 and December 2008, we analyzed 9 studies (2 randomized controlled trials [RCTs] and 7 observational studies) with 21,919 patients with EOC who underwent staging laparotomy including SL or USL.

Results: Although SL was a favorable factor for OS compared with USL (hazard ratio [HR], 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.76), the efficacy of SL on increased OS could not be determined in all-stage and early-stage EOC owing to the lack of RCTs and the deviation of weight by large-scale observational studies, whereas SL improved OS in advanced-stage EOC (HR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.67-0.75). Moreover, SL increased OS in patients with all-stage disease who underwent optimal debulking surgery (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.69-0.99), whereas it could not improve OS statistically in early-stage and advanced-stage diseases. However, SL showed increased OS with marginal significance in advanced-stage EOC patients treated with optimal debulking surgery (HR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.66-1.02).

Conclusions: These findings suggest the possibility that SL can improve OS in advanced-stage EOC. However, the efficacy of SL on OS is still unknown because of the lack of RCTs, which requires more relevant studies for investigating the role of SL in EOC.

  • Systematic lymphadenectomy
  • Overall survival
  • Epithelial ovarian cancer

https://doi.org/10.1111/IGC.0b013e3181d6de1d

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    Footnotes

    • This research was supported by World Class University program through the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

    • Yong Sang Song is a major in biomodulation, World Class University, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.