Pelvic exenteration, first described in 1948 and subsequently refined, may be offered as a last hope of cure to patients with recurrent or locally advanced pelvic tumours, where radiotherapy is not an option. It is a complex, morbid, ultra-radical procedure involving en-bloc resection of the female reproductive organs, lower urinary tract, and a portion of the rectosigmoid. This article discusses the evolution of and current indications for pelvic exenteration in gynaecologic oncology as well as the reasons for its decline: primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer (the recurrence of which is the most common indication for exenteration); improvements in treatment of cervical, endometrial, vaginal and vulvar cancer in the primary and recurrent setting; and the advent of novel therapies.
Keywords: Cervical cancer; Endometrial cancer; Pelvic exenteration; Previously irradiated field; Recurrent gynaecologic malignancy; Vaginal cancer; Vulvar cancer.
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