The addition of extensive upper abdominal surgery to achieve optimal cytoreduction improves survival in patients with stages IIIC-IV epithelial ovarian cancer.

To determine the survival impact of adding extensive upper abdominal surgical cytoreduction to standard surgical techniques for advanced ovarian cancer. The records of all patients with stages IIIC-IV epithelial ovarian cancer who underwent primary surgery at our institution from 1998 to 2003 were reviewed. The cohort was divided into 3 groups. Group 1 patients required extensive upper abdominal surgery, such as diaphragm peritonectomy/resection, resection of parenchymal liver or porta hepatis disease and/or splenectomy with or without distal pancreatectomy, to achieve optimal cytoreduction (residual disease