LIMITED INVASIVENESS TO ASSESS RETROPERITONEAL SPREAD IN STAGE I-II OVARIAN-CARCINOMA

Objective. To evaluate the incidence of retroperitoneal metastases, su rvival rate and site of recurrence in early ovarian tumors undergoing limited retroperitoneal surgery. Method: Three hundred seventy-three c onsecutive patients underwent assessment of the retroperitoneum consis ting of intraoperative palpation with or without biopsies. Results. Re troperitoneal metastases were detected in 10 stage-I tumors (3.2%) and in 10 stage-II tumors (16%). The risk was inversely related to tumor differentiation. Palpation revealed metastases in 10 cases. During fol low-up, none of the borderline tumors (1.9% of stage-I grade-1 node-ne gative, 2.7% of grade-2 and 7.0% of grade-3 tumors) recurred in the re troperitoneum. In stage II, two recurrences were observed in grade-2 t umors (11%) and one in grade 3 (4.5%). Conclusion: Limited retroperito neal surgery enables satisfactory outcome in early ovarian cancers. Ri sk of retroperitoneal recurrence is minimal in grade 1 and non-existen t in borderline tumors. Less differentiated tumors have low risk but f urther investigation of the therapeutic role of lymphadenectomy is jus tified.