Bladder function is controlled by the hypogastric nerves (sympathetic) and pelvic splanchnic nerves (parasympathetic) , and these two nerve fibers intermingle to form the pelvic plexus. Pelvic surgery was one of the important modalities being used in pelvis-gynecology, but it was commonly found that the modality could cause bladder dysfunction because of its damage to the pelvic plexus. Pelvis-gynecologic surgeries like Pive Ⅱ-Ⅳ radical hysterectomy (RH), total vaginectomy, Hartman, Dixon, and posterior pelvic exenteration are among the most important causes of urinary dysfunction. Recently, urinary dysfunction has become the major issue for patients undergoing pelvic surgery in terms of quality-of-life. Pelvic autonomic nerve-sparing (PANS) protects postsurgical bladder function in radical RH and other pelvic surgery. The review tried to discuss different types of PANS being used in variety of pelvis-gynecologic surgery. Type Ⅰ PANS can be performed in Piver Ⅱ RH in patients with endometrioid cancer, and urinary catheter will be removed 3 days after operation. Type Ⅱ PANS is used in Piver Ⅲ RH, and the catheter can be successfully removed 7 days after surgery. Sometimes, type Ⅲ PANS is administered in one-side tumor-free cardinal ligament resection, and the patients will retain their catheter for 3 weeks postoperatively. Type Ⅱ or type Ⅲ PANS may be used in total vaginectomy, Hartman, Dixon, and posterior pelvic exenteration.

Notch signal pathway is one of crucial pathways related to cell fate determination, regulating cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis, with an effect of organ formation and morphogenesis. Abnormal activation of Notch gene occurs in many tumor cells, such as brain tumors, breast cancer and hepatoma. Recent studies have been found that the notch pathway out of control was related with growth of ovarian cancer. And Notch3 involving in the development and progression of ovarian cancer has been attracted extensive attention by experts and scholars. This review focuses on the literatures of Notch3 and related molecules regulating the development and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Purpose:To evaluate the significance of abdominal residue after primary cytoreductive su rgery for stage Ⅲ ovarian cancer.Methods:From Nov 1990 to Nov 1996, 57 patients with stage Ⅲ ovarian cancer who underwen t primary cytoreduction in our hospital and their residual disease were analyzed , with mean age of 51.9 (23～74). 20 patients achieved optimal cytoreduction (th e largest residual tumor ≤ 1cm). 9 patients had no gross residual tumor after s urgery, 37 cases had residual disease both in the abdomen and pelvis. Abdominal residual disease was found in 7 cases and pelvic residual disease in 4 cases. 30 cases were given chemotherapy before surgery. After primary surgery, 36 patient s received a mean of 3 courses of intraperitoneal chemotherapy and 46 patients were treated with a mean of 4 cycles of platinum-based intravenous chemotherapy . Complete remission were achieved in 32 cases (56.1%).Results:With a mean follow-up of 29.1 months (0.3～109.1months), 1-5 year survival rat es were 79.82%, 57.59%, 49.06%, 39.93%, 23.41%, respectively. Univariate analysi s indicated stage (P=0.0283), size of residual disease (P=0.0041), resid ue in the abdomen (P=0.0362), type of surgery (P=0.0337) and intraperito neal chemotherapy after surgery (P=0.0469) influenced survival. Multivariate analysis suggested that size of residual disease (P=0.0025), intraperiton eal chemotherapy (P=0.0323) and intravenous chemotherapy (P=0.0297)aft er surgery were independent prognostic factors of survival. Those patients who h ad no macroscopic residual lesion in the abdomen after cytoreducion had a better survival, with estimated median survival of 58.0 months vs 22.7 months for pati ents with abdominal residue (P=0.0362), with 3-year, 5-year survival rate of 83.64% vs 37.60% and 29.57% vs 21.05%, respectively. Residual disease in the pelvis did not affect the survival (P=0.2782). For patients with abdominal r esidue after surgery, optimal abdominal cytoreduction predicted increased surviv al (P=0.0319), while optimal pelvic cytoreduction predicted increased progre ss-free survival (P=0.0104). Stage(P=0.041), chemotherapy before surg ery(P=0.009)and pathologic classification(P=0.042)were determinants for abdominal residue after cytoreduction.Conclusions:The size of residual disease and abdominal residue after cytoreduction affected the progn osis for stage Ⅲ ovarian cancer. Patients with abdominal residue suffered a pes simistic outcome. Residual lesions in the abdomen influenced the patients' surv ival, while pelvic residue affected progress-free survival.

Objective To study the characteristics, therapies and prognosis of the patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) that are initially categorized as extra abdominal adenocarcinoma of unknown primary Methods Twenty five patients with EOC, who were treated in the Cancer Hospital of Fudan University from Jan 1986 to Dec 1997, and manifesting as extra peritoneal or liver parenchyma metastases at the time of presentation, without detectable ovarian tumors, were retrospectively studied Results Supraclavicular and inguinal lymph node metastases were common in this group of patients, with 6 and 5 cases respectively, and 6 patients with more than two sites metastases simultaneously 16 patients (64%) were optimally surgical debulked 20 patients with stage Ⅳ EOC initially presenting as extra abdominal metastases experienced a better prognosis, with an estimated median survival of 24 months. Of whom the median survival was 30 months in patients presenting with pleural effusion or supraclavicular lymph node metastases Vs 19 months in those with other sites spread ( P =0 026 4) Conclusions The prognosis of such cases, particularly for those with supraclavicular lymphadenopathy or malignant pleural effusion, is a lot better than other stage Ⅳ EOC patients, probably because of most of the patients initially presenting with distant metastases being generally in a good condition competent for aggressive surgery or multi cycle chemotherapy

6) of platinum based intravenous chemotherapy prolonged the survival of patients with suboptimal cytoreduction Intraperitoneal chemotherapy was one of the dominant long term survival determinants, and mainly on those with size of residual disease less than 1 cm

1 cm after secondary cytoreduction.

6 months was 42.3 months, longer than 17.5 months for patients with PFI ≤ 6 months, no statistical significance was found ( P =0.1418). Multivariate analysis strongly suggested that PFI and the courses of second line chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors of survival after secondary treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer. For those patients with PFI ≤ 6 months, the smaller the size of residual lesion ( P =0.0003) and the more the cycle of effective second line chemotherapy ( P =0.0004), the longer the survival after the secondary cytoreduction. Conclusions:The results suggested that successful secondary cytoreductive surgery combined with multicycles second line chemotherapy may be an effective way to lengthen the survival on retreatment for patients with platinum resistant and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

1cm, there was a significant statistical difference in median survival of 61 and 12 months, respectively (? 2 =16.60, P =0.0001). The median survival for patients with and without peritoneal chemotherapy were 27 and 12 months, respectively (? 2 =3.45, P =0.0633). Residual disease, FIGO stage, recurrent ascites, uterus muscle involvement were independent prognostic determinants of survival identified by Cox's stepwise regression analysis. Conclusions Aggressive surgical cytoreduction should be performed in elderly AEOC patients as well as in younger patients, but multi-course platinum-based chemotherapy should be used in accordance with the performance status of elder women.

Objective To investigate individualized and multi-phase management of recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma in order to improve survival of the patients. Methods From 1998 to 2002, 70 patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma were enrolled in the present study. The treatments were divided into: (1) Induction of tumor remission:platinum sensitive patients were treated with paclitaxol + cisplatin (TP) or carboplatin + cyclophosphamide(CP)regimen; platinum resistant patients used Taxol + mitomycin(TM)or etoposide+ mitomycin(VM)regimen. Resection of tumors was done in an attempt to reduce the residual tumor with a diameter less than 1cm. Local radiotherapy was performed for those with residual tumor and who achieved clinical response after chemotherapy or surgery. (2) Consolidation therapy: chemotherapy with lower doses was administrated after disease remission. Interferon was used as immunotherapy during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Survial analysis was done. Results (1) The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-year survival rates were 67%, 51%, 45%, 38%, 32% . Median survival was 38.57 months. (3)The 1,2,3-year progression-free survival rates of the research arm were 41%, 37%, 24%. Median progression-free survival was 12.00 months. (4) Multivariate analysis revealed that platinum-free interval (P

Objective To investigate the timing and role of systemic retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy in patients with ovarian cancer. Methods From Jan. 1987 to Feb. 1994, 50 patients with ovarian cancer, who underwent retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy on second-look laparotomy (SLL), were retrospectively studied. Results The median age was 49 years. Overall survival at 3 and 5 years were 72% and 62%, respectively. Twenty of 50 (40%) women were found SLL(+),and the rates of positive SLL were related to International Federation of Gynecology Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, with 16% in stage ⅠandⅡ, 64% in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ (P