Impact of appendectomy of a grossly normal appendix on the survival outcomes of mucinous ovarian carcinomas in a tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the survival outcomes of appendectomy for a grossly normal appendix in patients with mucinous ovarian carcinomas.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study. Patients with mucinous ovarian carcinomas with grossly normal appendices who underwent primary surgery between 2002 and 2022 were enrolled. The overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) of appendectomy and non-appendectomy groups were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine the independent factors associated with OS and PFS.

RESULTS

Of 192 patients, appendectomy was performed in 138 (71.9%). Three (1.6%) patients had primary appendiceal tumors and two (1.0%) had appendiceal metastases of ovarian origin. The median follow-up time was 68.8 months. The OS and PFS were better in patients in the appendectomy group than in those in the non-appendectomy group (5-year OS: 80.72% vs. 65.05%, P = 0.012; 5-year PFS: 76.32% vs. 58.60%, P = 0.020). Independent factors associated with poor OS and PFS were no omentectomy, peritoneal seeding, and advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage.

CONCLUSION

Appendectomy of a grossly normal appendix was not an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS in patients with mucinous ovarian carcinomas.