Consolidation Radiation Therapy following Cytoreductive Surgery, Chemotherapy and Second-Look Laparotomy for Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma: Long-Term Follow-Up

Abstract
Background: From 1979-1987, 139 stage IC-IV ovarian cancer patients who had undergone cytoreductive surgery received 6-11 cycles of cisplatin and adriamycin. Study design: Eighty-four clinically complete responders underwent second-look laparotomy, and 60 of them received consolidation abdominal irradiation. The patients were then followed for a median follow-up of 39 months. Results: Five- and 10-year actuarial survival for all patients was 43% and 24%, for no residuum at primary surgery, 80% and 35%, for residual tumor 2 cm, 20% and 4%. Median survival for stage III-IV patients negative at second-look laparotomy was 72 months in irradiated compared to 25 months in non-irradiated patients (P = 0.14) and 77 months in irradiated patients with microscopic disease at second-look laparotomy. Median survival in patients with macroscopic disease at second-look laparotomy was 23.5 months if irradiated compared to 18 months if not (P = 0.05). Conclusions: Consolidation whole abdominal irradiation in advanced stages of ovarian cancer may be of value in patients with negative or microscopic disease at second-look laparotomy. Unfortunately, despite the initial survival advantage observed in irradiated patients, owing to late recurrences there was no significant difference in their long-term survival probability.

This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit: