Abstract

The clinical benefit of an omentectomy in endometrioid adenocarcinoma is unclear. The objective of this study was to clarify the significance of an omentectomy performed for clinical stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma. A prospective study was performed on 134 patients with clinical stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma who underwent omentectomy in addition to a staging laparotomy between 1998 and 2004: simple total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection, and peritoneal cytology. The frequency and prognosis of omental metastases and their relationships with extrauterine spread to other sites were investigated. Omental metastasis was noted in four patients (3.0%). As for extrauterine spread, the positivity rate of lymph node metastases was 13/128 (10.2%), peritoneal cytology was 13/133 (9.8%), and adnexal metastases was 10/134 (7.5%). Omental metastases correlated with peritoneal cytology and adnexal metastases (P< 0.05 for both); however, two of the omental metastases–positive patients were peritoneal cytology negative. All omental metastases–positive patients died shortly after surgery, showing that their prognosis was poor. The omental metastases rate for clinical stage I endometrioid adenocarcinoma was lower than the positive rates for extrauterine spread to other sites; thus, the routine application of omentectomy as a part of a staging laparotomy may not be efficacious. However, omental metastases are a significant poor prognostic factor, and intraoperative examination of the omentum by close inspection and palpation as well as pathologic examination, if possible, may be indicated.