The effect of surgical wound on ovarian carcinoma growth in an animal model.

BACKGROUND/AIMS We examined the effects according to the extent of surgical wound mimicking laparoscopy or laparotomy on ovarian cancer growth in an orthotopic mouse model. MATERIALS AND METHODS To mimic surgery effects, we performed laparoscopy or laparotomy on athymic nude mice under isoflurane inhalation at four days after tumor cell injection. For the laparoscopy model, we performed pneumoperitoneum with CO2, by inserting three cannulars. RESULTS Mice in the laparoscopy-mimicking group had significantly lower tumor weight compared to mice in the laparotomy group (p<0.05). In the immediate postoperative period, serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) were significantly lower in the laparoscopy group. CONCLUSION These results indicate that a minimal surgical wound such as that on laparoscopy, appears to induce little surgical stress on enhancing tumor growth compared to laparotomy in an ovarian cancer animal model, possibly because it minimally influences the secretion of VEGF and MMP2.