The role of cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer: the general surgeon's perspective.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide and is usually diagnosed at advanced stages. A radical and effective management of advanced ovarian cancer is needed. Cytoreductive surgery followed by intravenous chemotherapy is currently the gold standard for the management of this disease. However, the recurrence rates still remain high. The introduction of hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) combined with complete cytoreductive surgery is a well-promising approach for advanced-stage disease, as well as for recurrent cases. This review aimed to present the surgical management of advanced ovarian cancer and the recent literature about the role and the therapeutic effectiveness of cytoreduction.