Abstract: Objective: To investigate the surgical management of huge pelvic tumor.
Methods: The clinical data of 56 patients with huge pelvic tumor who were admitted to the Cancer Hospital of Henan Province from February 2005 to January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. Tumor resectability was assessed via enhanced computed tomography or threedimensional reconstruction, and the tumors were freed and resected by combination of multiple surgical approaches. All the patients were followed up via telephone or reexamination at the outpatient department to learn the recurrence and metastasis of tumor. The survival rate was calculated using the life table.
Results: Fifty patients received preoperative computed tomography examination, and the imaging data of 6 patients were threedimensionally reconstructed. Preoperative evaluation showed that 49 patients needed combined multivisceral resection, 5 needed tumor resection, and the tumors of 2 patients were unresectable. Fourteen patients were diagnosed preoperatively, and 8 patients were diagnosed by intraoperative rapid frozen section examination, and the rest 34 patients were diagnosed by postoperative pathological examination. The surgical approaches including anterior median sacral approach combined with transperineal coccyx anterior approach (21 patients), anterior median sacral approach (11 patients), obturator approach (8 patients), retropubic approach (8 patients) and obturator approach combined with transperineal approach of coccyx (8 patients). Tumor and rectum resection was carried out on 18 patients, tumor and partial bladder resection on 12 patients, tumor, uterus and ovariectomization on 12 patients, tumor, part of the small intestine and colorectal resection on 10 patients, tumor and total pelvic exenteration on 4 patients. In all the 56 patients, 53 achieved R0 resection, 2 cases reached naked eye clean, 1 case had residual tumor. The mean operation time was 100 minutes. Fifty patients recovered uneventfully. Six patients had postoperative complications, including 3 patients with intestinal obstruction (2 patients were cured by conservative treatment, and 1 patient was cured by surgery), 2 patients with pelvic infection and 1 patient with colostomy hernia, and they were cured by drainage and nutritional support. One patient died of postoperative myocardial infarction. The results of postoperative pathologic study showed that 25 patients were with adenocarcinoma, 16 with sarcoma and 15 with gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Fortyseven patients were followup to December 2012, and the 5year survival rate was 26.7% for patients with adenocarcinoma, 18.9% for patients with sarcoma, and 52.6% for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor.
Conclusion: Preoperative assessment of resectability of huge pelvic tumor can reduce unnecessary laparotomy and improve the safety of operation.