Dr. Backes on Pelvic Exenteration Surgery in Gynecologic Cancer

Floor J. Backes, MD, associate professor at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses pelvic exenteration surgery for patients with gynecologic cancer.

Pelvic exeneration is a rare procedure, explains Backes, as only 150 are done in the United States each year. This procedure removes all of the pelvic organs, which can cause a high-risk of complications and distant recurrence.

Some potential risk factors for recurrence include positive lymph nodes, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and tumor size. There are several studies suggesting that tumors greater than 3 cm increase the risk of a local and distant recurrence, and can decrease survival chances.

With this rare type of surgery, it is important to consult and counsel patients, according to Backes. Patients can undergo pelvic reconstruction after surgery.