Dr. Fowler on Selection Criteria for Surgical Procedures in Ovarian Cancer

Jeffrey M. Fowler, MD, professor of gynecologic oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—–James, discusses selection criteria that can help determine which surgical procedure to pursue in ovarian cancer.

Radical tumor debulking procedures such as splenectomy, diaphragm resection, large bowel resection with anastomosis, or dual bowel resections may be considered for fit patients who are likely to achieve no gross residual disease after surgery, says Fowler.

Patients whose tumor is <1 cm should be considered for radical tumor debulking procedures on an individualized basis, explains Fowler.

Notably, a hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, peritoneal stripping, or omentectomy with or without lymph node dissection can also be used to resect a patient’s tumor to <1 cm, concludes Fowler.