Long term survival by cytoreductive surgery to less than 1 cm, induction weekly cisplatin and monthly cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide therapy in advanced ovarian adenocarcinoma

Survival rates for patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer remain low despite improved chemotherapy regimens and cytoreductive surgery.One hundred thirty-six patients with Stage III or IV ovarian cancer were treated with primary cytoreductive surgery followed by cisplatin induction, 1 mg/kg weekly x 4 followed by 10 cycles of cisplatin (50 mg/m2), doxorubicin (50 mg/m2), and cyclophosphamide (750 mg/m2). Second-look surgery was performed on those patients who were clinically without evidence of disease at the end of the planned chemotherapy course. Survival and progression-free survival were calculated, and prognostic factors regarding survival and progression-free survival were evaluated by both univariate and multivariate analyses.Cytoreductive surgery to less than or equal to 2 cm was performed on 83% of patients and to less than 1 cm in 40%. A surgical complete response (SCR) rate of 34.9% and surgical partial response (SPR) rate of 47.6% were noted. Of the SCRs, recurrences developed in 52.7% of the patients. Estimated 5- and 8-year survival for all 136 patients was 31.2% and 21.5%, and 5- and 8-year progression-free survival was 23.9% and 20.6%, respectively. Those patients with less than 1-cm residual disease after primary surgery had significantly improved survival compared with those with 1-2 cm or greater than 2 cm (P0.001). Multivariate analysis identified residual disease status and age as the most significant prognostic factors associated with survival and progression-free survival.Compared with those patients with greater than 1-cm residuum after initial surgery, a statistically significant improvement in long term survival was noted for those patients whose cancers were cytoreduced to less than 1-cm residuum.