Reproductive and oncological outcomes of fertility-sparing surgery in patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: We meta-analyzed available evidence on fertility, survival, and cancer recurrence in patients with stage I epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) after fertility-sparing surgery (FSS). METHODS: We systematically reviewed PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify studies reporting reproductive and oncological outcomes of patients with stage I EOC who underwent FSS. Random-effects models were used to calculate pooled rates of disease outcomes, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to identify sources of heterogeneity in the data. RESULTS: We included 23 observational retrospective studies involving 1126 patients. The pooled pregnancy rate was 30% (95% CI, 0.26–0.34), while the pooled natural conception rate was 26% (95% CI, 0.20–0.33). The pooled live birth rate was 27% (95% CI, 0.22–0.32). The pooled rate of EOC recurrence was 12% (95% CI, 0.09–0.14), which did not differ significantly from the rate among patients who underwent radical surgery (odds ratio, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.45–1.33). CONCLUSIONS: FSS is associated with good oncological outcomes but less than satisfactory reproductive outcomes. All in all, the procedure appears to be a safe alternative to radical surgery for EOC patients who want to preserve fertility.