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Objective: Evaluation of the role of radiotherapy in the treatment of the epithelial ovarian cancer., Subject: Review., Setting: Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, University Hospital, Charles University, Hradec Králové. Department of Obstetric and Gynaecology, Charles University, University Hospital, Hradec Králové., Subject and Method: Discussion about current evidence of the effect of radiotherapy in the treatment of the epithelial ovarian cancer from literature., Conclusion: Radiotherapy has proved its efficacy in adjuvant treatment of intermediate risk ovarian carcinoma. Contemporary radiotherapy attracts attention as consolidation or salvage treatment after chemotherapy. Radiotherapy can also be effective palliative treatment of chemorefractory tumours. Modern radiation technique is essential.

The authors evaluated in a retrospective study the therapeutic results of ovarian carcinoma stage FIGO I (68 patients) and FIGO II (28 patients) attained in the Institute of Radiation Oncology, Prague during the ten-year period from 1983-1993. Total survival and survival without relapse within five years are 77% in stage I and 74% in stage II. The corresponding values of five-year survival without relapse were 56% and 58% resp. Despite the fact that the therapeutic results are comparable with data in the literature, a great shortcoming is the inadequate documentation of the initial laparotomy and the very general histopathological finding, moreover without grading, in a great proportion of the patients. The authors emphasize that these shortcomings make a reliable indication of adjuvant therapy impossible, in particular in early stages of ovarian carcinoma. Despite repeated references to this shortcoming these mistakes have persisted for several decades.