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In a controlled prospective randomized study the regimen doxorubicin (A) 40 mg/m2 + melphalan (M) 0.4 mg/kg was compared with A + M + cisplatin (C) 50 mg/m2 given every four weeks in advanced ovarian cancer, FIGO stage III or IV and with serous or anaplastic histology. From 1981 to 1983, 300 patients entered the study and 295 patients were evaluable for response, toxicity and long-term survival. All patients were followed for at least 10 years. The majority of patients had large residual tumours >2 cm. Patients treated with MAC had a higher response rate compared with patients treated with MA (76% vs. 50%, p < 0.01) and treatment with MAC resulted in significantly more pathological complete responders than MA. There was a significant difference in median duration of response (19 months vs. 13 months, p < 0.006) and in median survival time (26 months vs. 19 months, p = 0.05). After 5- and 10 years a significant difference in progression-free and overall survival was found. The independent prognostic factors in this study were residual tumour after primary surgery, treatment with MAC, tumour grade, ascites, and stage. Objective and subjective side effects were significantly worse with MAC, although tolerable. In conclusion, this study shows that incorporating C into MA improves the duration of progression-free survival and overall survival in women with incompletely resected Stage III or Stage IV ovarian epithelial cancer. A 5- and 10-year survival of 25% and 18%, respectively, is impressive.

Uteri from four patients with endometrial adenocarcinoma and concomitant “functioning” endometrium were examined by a whole-organ sectioning technique. All showed one or several “progesterone-refractory” mucosal areas or polyps, mainly in the tubal recesses. In one patient the adenocarcinoma obviously originated in a fundal polyp, and in the others the tumors could have arisen in mucosal areas not adequately responding to progesterone. These findings do not in fact contradict the “unopposed estrogen” theory of the genesis of endometrial carcinoma.