Impact of Lymphadenectomy on Survival of Patients with Serous Advanced Ovarian Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A French National Multicenter Study (FRANCOGYN)

Background: The population of interest to this study comprised individuals with advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma who were exposed to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS). Those who had not received systematic lymphadenectomy (SL; Group 1) were compared to those who had received SL (Group 2). Outcome measures included progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and surgical complications. Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter cohort study in nine referral centers of France between January 2000 and June 2017. OS analysis using the multivariate Cox regression model was performed. PFS and surgery-related morbidity were analyzed. Results: Of the 255 patients included, 100 were in Group 1 and 155 in Group 2. Patient majority was, on average, younger and less comorbid, with predominant R0 surgery in Group 2. Dindo-Clavien score was similar between the two groups (p= 0.15). Median OS was 26.8 months in Group 2 and 27.6 months in Group 1. SL was not statistically significant on OS (p= 0.7). Median PFS was 18.3 months in Group 2 and 16.6 months in Group 1. SL had positive impact on PFS (p= 0.005). Conclusions: patients who had received SL (Group 2) had significantly higher PFS regardless of node-positivity status when compared to those who had not received SL (Group 1).