Pelvic exenteration for recurrent gynecologic malignancy: survival and morbidity analysis of the 45-year experience at UCLA.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively assess the outcome of patients undergoing pelvic exenteration for recurrent or persistence gynecologic malignancy and the clinical features associated with outcome and survival.

METHODS

A review was conducted of patients who underwent pelvic exenteration over a 45-year period (1956-2001) at the UCLA Medical Center. Numerous clinical variables were analyzed, including time to relapse, type of exenteration and reconstructive operation, early (<60 days) and late (>60 days) morbidity, and survival. Variables were analyzed by chi-square and life-table analysis.

RESULTS

Seventy-five patients (ages 26-74 years) had persistent cervical and vaginal (67) and uterine (8) cancer. Forty-six patients underwent total exenteration, 23 anterior, and 6 posterior. Sixty-nine (92%) patients underwent urinary diversion or neocystoplasty, 54 (72%) patients had a simultaneous neovagina created, and 43 of 52 (83%) patients who had a low colon resection had a primary reanastomosis. Twenty-nine patients died from recurrent malignancy, 28 were alive without disease, 11 were alive with disease, and 7 died from other causes at last follow-up. Survival for patients with cervical and vaginal cancer was 73% at 1 year, 57% at 3 years, and 54% at 5 years. Survival for patients with uterine cancer was 86% at 1 year, 62% at 3 and 5 years. The most frequent early morbidity was urinary tract infection, wound infection, and intestinal fistula; the most frequent late morbidity was urinary tract infection and intestinal obstruction.

CONCLUSION

Pelvic exenteration in patients with recurrent cervical and vaginal malignancy is associated with a durable > 50% 5-year survival. Simultaneously performed pelvic reconstructive operations with a continent urinary diversion, the creation of a neovagina, and the reanastomosis of the colon with the formation of a J-pouch is now our standard; and these operations tend to improve the outcome of patients. Based on our initial experience, recurrent uterine corpus cancer in young women (< 55 years) should be included as an indication for the surgery.