Surgical treatment for pulmonary metastasis from ovarian cancer: a retrospective case series

Background: Distant metastases of ovarian cancer are rarely detected alone. The effectiveness of surgical intervention for pulmonary metastases from ovarian cancer remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing resection for pulmonary metastasis from ovarian cancer.

Case presentation: The clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes of radical surgery for pulmonary metastasis from ovarian cancer were investigated. Out of 537 patients who underwent pulmonary metastasis resection at two affiliated hospitals between 2010 and 2021, four (0.74%) patients who underwent radical surgery for pulmonary metastasis from ovarian cancer were included. The patients were aged 67, 47, 21, and 59 years; the intervals from primary surgery to detection of pulmonary metastasis from ovarian cancer were 94, 21, 36, and 50 months; and the overall survival times after pulmonary metastasectomy were 53, 50, 94, and 34 months, respectively. Three of the four patients experienced recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy. Further, preoperative carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125 levels were normal in two surviving patients and elevated in the two deceased patients.

Conclusion: In this study, three of the four patients experienced recurrence after pulmonary metastasectomy, but all patients survived for > 30 months after surgery. Patients with ovarian cancer and elevated CA125 levels may not be optimal candidates for pulmonary metastasectomy. To establish appropriate criteria for pulmonary metastasectomy in patients with ovarian cancer, further research on a larger patient cohort is warranted.