Dr. Fowler on Types of Surgical Procedures in Ovarian Cancer

Jeffrey M. Fowler, MD, professor of gynecologic oncology, The Ohio State University, discusses the various types of surgical procedures in ovarian cancer.

The majority of patients with ovarian cancer will need a hysterectomy with a bilateral salpingectomy, says Fowler. Young women with early stage disease who request a fertility-sparing procedure may undergo surgery to remove the disease without removing the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries.

If there is evidence of extraovarian primary peritoneal carcinoma, a tumor cytoreductive surgery may be performed. Simple cytoreductive procedures can consist of a small bowel resection, lymph node dissection, peritoneal nodule removal, or omentectomy.

More advanced cytoreductive surgeries include diaphragm resection, radical omentectomy, splenectomy, large bowel resection, or liver resection, says Fowler.

It is important to perform these surgeries with a competent team and to utilize best judgement to either proceed with surgery or give chemotherapy prior to operation, concludes Fowler.