[Lumbo-aortic lymphadenectomy in ovarian cancers].

Systematic lumbo-aortic lymphadenectomy has revealed the importance of lymphatic dissemination of ovarian cancers: the incidence of lumbo-aortic metastases reported in the literature is high (15 to 25% of so-called early stages, false stage I and II). An exact staging assessment is an essential prognostic factor; underestimation of apparently early stages leads to insufficient treatment, reducing the long-term survival rate. The correlation with intraperitoneal extension, the degree of differentiation and the histological type is only partial. Retroperitoneal lymph node invasion has a prognostic significance at each stage. Lastly, lumbo-aortic lymphadenectomy appears to provide a specific therapeutic benefit as part of maximal tumour reduction surgery.