Prognostic importance of histologic type in ovarian carcinoma

It is widely accepted that there exists a simple relationship between histologic type and prognosis in ovarian cancer. There are, however, multiple reasons to believe that if there is such a relationship, it is complex and involves many interacting factors. The factors concerned relate both to the biologic natures of the several neoplasms in this group and to the practical limitations to adequate evaluation imposed by clinical circumstances. Many questions remain to be answered before a prospective comparison of various treatment modalities can be expected to produce truly conclusive results.