Systematic Review of Cytoreductive Surgery and Bevacizumab-Containing Chemotherapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: Focus on Safety

Background: Initial experiences reported increased surgical morbidities in patients receiving cytoreductive surgery for colorectal cancer after bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy; however, more recent literature suggests a favorable toxicity profile in patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC). With the aim of providing a more objective point of view on this controversial issue, we present here a systematic literature review. Methods: Systematic revision of the available literature was conducted using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE electronic databases. All studies reporting safety data regarding cytoreductive surgery performed before or after bevacizumab-containing chemotherapy have been analyzed for the purposes of this study. The study has been prepared according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Forty-eight studies were retrieved from the electronic databases, with 23 (47.9%) being excluded due to an unsatisfactory study design. Among the remaining 25 manuscripts, 16 did not report data regarding surgical morbidities after cytoreductive surgery, therefore only 9 studies were included in the final analysis. Overall, 198 AOC patients received bevacizumab-containing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) in the context of five studies, among whom 21 women experienced grade 3/4 postoperative complications (10.6%), which appears to be in line with data reported in patients receiving IDS after carboplatin-paclitaxel NACT. Results from phase I–II clinical trials, and dataset analysis from GOG-0218, did not observe an increased incidence of complications in AOC patients receiving bevacizumab-containing adjuvant chemotherapy after cytoreductive surgery. Conclusions: The incorporation of bevacizumab into first-line chemotherapy was not associated with increased morbidities before and after cytoreductive surgery in women with AOC.