The Effect of Para Aortic Lymph Node Dissection in Staging and Complete Cytoreductive Surgery of Ovarian Cancer

Objective Lymphatic spread is a common feature of ovarian cancer both in early and advanced stages of the disease. There is also a controversial problem of the impact of para-aortic lymph node dissection between gynecologist oncologist experts. The aim of this study is evaluating the effect of Para aortic Lymph node dissection in ovarian cancer patients. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 100 ovarian cancer patients admitted in department of gynecology oncology of Ghaem hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, from November 2013 - 2014. All patients underwent surgical staging surgery and optimal debulking surgery as possible. In addition, concurrent systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy up to the level of inferior mesenteric artery was performed. Results A total of 100 patients were studied. The mean age was 47 years (SD = 13). In 73 patients optimal cytoreductive surgery was done with para aortic lymphadenectomy. 53 cases (72.6%) were in primary cytoreductive surgery and 20 cases (27.3%) in interval debulking surgery groups. Positive paraaortic lymph node in the first group was 6 cases (11.3) and in the second group was 2 cases (10%). 27 patients were in apparent stage I and 46 patients were in stage II-III-IV of disease. We found positive paraaortic lymph node in 11% of total patients. We found positive paraaortic lymph node without positive pelvic lymph node in two patients. Conclusions Lymph node dissection will produce a significant benefit in accurate and complete surgical staging; it will reduce residual disease and then progression-free survival.