Is appendicectomy mandatory in patients with ovarian carcinoma?

Abstract

There is a paucity of literature on appendicectomy concomitant with surgical treatment of ovarian cancer. In this study 10 of 12 patients (83.3%) with advanced (stage III or IV) ovarian carcinoma were found to have metastases to the vermiform appendix. Involvement was independent of the histogenetic type of the tumors and was not limited to serosal implants. Microscopic examination showed the presence of metastases in 20% of the appendices that were normal on macroscopic examination, and confirmed secondary deposits in all the cases of macroscopic disease. Reasons for carrying out appendicectomy during surgery for ovarian carcinoma are discussed.