[Epithelial cancer of the ovary. An analysis of a prospective protocol]

We present the results on the treatment of 43 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer excluding borderline tumours. Nine cases were FIGO Stage I, 4 FIGO Stage II, 24 FIGO Stage III and 6 FIGO Stage IV. The protocol consists in cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy for Stages I, III, and IV, mainly using cisplatin + cyclophosphamide (PC) or cisplatin + adriamycin + cyclophosphamide (PAC). We used pelvis and whole abdomen radiotherapy for patients on Stage II. The follow up was between 26 and 76 months. The undifferentiated tumours had bad prognosis in Stage I, instead of receiving chemotherapy. Radiotherapy for patients on Stage II reached satisfactory local regional disease control but with late recurrences. On Stage III, size of residual tumour less than 2 cm on primary surgery was of good prognosis (60% 44 months survival). The addition of adriamycin to PC seems to be of no benefit in long term results. The five year actuarial survival was 44% for FIGO Stage I, 75% for FIGO Stage II, 16% for FIGO Stage III and 0% for FIGO Stage IV. These results don't differ significantly from similar protocols.