Efficacy of chemotherapy combined with surgical resection for gastric cancer with synchronous ovarian metastasis: A propensity score matching analysis

BACKGROUND: Ovarian metastasis from gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by aggressive biological behavior and poor outcome. Currently, there is no standard treatment mode for such patients. Thus, we evaluated the efficacy of conversion therapy in patients with synchronous ovarian metastasis from GC in this study. METHODS: About 219 GC patients with ovarian metastasis in 2011–2020 were enrolled. Two groups were established based on the different treatment: the conversion therapy group (chemotherapy combined with surgical resection, CS group) and the non‐conversion therapy group (NCS group). Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to analyze the efficacy of different treatment modes on the prognosis of these patients. RESULTS: Ninety‐two patients were included according to PSM results, with 46 patients each in CS and NCS groups. The median overall survival (OS) in the CS group was notably better than that in the NCS group (p < 0.001). Twenty‐six patients (56.52%) in the CS group achieved R0 resection, and they had a better prognosis (p = 0.003). Compared with patients who underwent simultaneous gastrectomy and ovarian metastasectomy (CSb group), those who underwent ovarian metastasectomy before systemic chemotherapy (CSa group) had a higher R0 resection rate (p = 0.016) and longer survival time (p = 0.002). A total of 38 patients (41.30%) across both groups received hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), and these patients had a better survival (p = 0.043). CONCLUSION: The conversion therapy is safe and effective for patients with synchronous ovarian metastasis from GC and can improve their prognosis. However, our results need to be confirmed by more randomized controlled clinical studies.