Port-site metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic cancer - Areport of six cases

BACKGROUND: Port-site metastasis after laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic cancer is a recognized entity. CASES: Five patients underwent laparoscopic peritoneal biopsies for a stage III (n = 4) or IV (n = 1) ovarian cancer with moderate or poor differentia tion. The sixth patient underwent a laparoscopic lymphadenectomy for vagina l carcinoma with bulky metastatic pelvic lymph nodes. CONCLUSION: In order to avoid port-site metastasis, patients with an obviou sly malignant ovarian tumor and ascites should not be treated with laparosc opy using pneumoperitoneum. If a malignant ovarian tumor is discovered duri ng laparoscopy, the internal between initial surgery and complete cytoreduc tive surgery (with resection of laparoscopic ports) followed by chemotherap y should be as short as possible. For patients with uterine cancer and bulk y nodes, laparoscopic lymphadenectomy should be avoided to avoid trocar imp lantation metastasis.