Surgery for Gynecological Cancer: Current Evidences and Perspectives

Dear Colleagues,

Gynecological surgery is the oldest therapeutic approach for the treatment of malignancy of the female tract. Surgical techniques evolved dramatically in the last decades, according to the improvement and implementation of technology and perioperative assistance. Appropriateness of surgery and standardization of the procedures are an ongoing debate and a paradigmatic example is the surprising finding regarding the worst prognosis of minimally invasive approach in cervical cancer. In fact, many international studies are reporting different strategies and study hypothesis to overcome this issue. On the other side minimally invasive surgery and the tailoring of surgical lymph nodal staging play a big role in endometrial and vulvar cancer, representing a paradigm of shifting towards less invasive, but appropriate procedures. Aggressive open surgery remains on the contrary, a cornerstone for advanced ovarian cancer, even though pioneers reported experiences with minimally invasive surgery in selected patients. Nonetheless, there are many rarer gynecological cancers requiring a stronger evidence based knowledge about their surgical approach, especially in the conservative surgical approach. Finally, a common framework of perioperative care in gynecological surgery is mandatory and nowadays, enhanced recovery after surgery protocol should be the new standard of care.

The aim of this special issue is to highlight the evolution of surgical indications, procedures and perioperative care for the treatment of gynecological cancers, with an overview of the current trends and future perspectives.

Dr. Federico Ferrari

Guest Editor