Prognostic Factors After the First Recurrence of Ovarian Cancer

Objective: Ovarian cancer is the fifth most frequent tumor in women and the second most common gynecological cancer. Recurrence of ovarian cancer develops in up to 50-90% of patients within the first five years after diagnosis. Approximately 70% of patients with advanced disease will experience a relapse. The aim of this study was to assess prognostic factors that may predict a higher probability of additional recurrences, as well as their treatment and impact on disease-free and overall survival. Method: A retrospective observational study was conducted on patients diagnosed with recurrent ovarian cancer at the Gynecologic Oncology Unit of Hospital Universitario La Paz (Madrid, Spain) from January 2000 to December 2020. All variables related to the initial treatment, diagnosis, and management of the recurrence were collected and analyzed. Results: Data from 144 patients with recurrent ovarian cancer were analyzed. Statistically significant differences were found in disease-free survival between patients depending on initial tumor staging and primary treatment. Better outcomes were observed in patients with FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages I-II compared to those with FIGO stages III-IV at diagnosis (p = 0.021), as well as in patients who underwent primary cytoreduction compared to those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval surgery (p < 0.001). The disease-free interval was categorized into three periods, <6 months, 6-12 months, and ≥12 months, with greater survival observed in those with a longer disease-free interval (p < 0.001). After the first recurrence, two factors significantly influenced patient survival: the type of treatment received after the first recurrence (p < 0.001) and the type of chemotherapy regimen (p = 0.001). Complete cytoreduction during primary treatment was an independent prognostic factor and was related to better overall survival in patients where it was achieved (p = 0.004), regardless of the number of recurrences. Conclusions: The prognostic factors with impact on the survival of patients with a first recurrence of ovarian cancer are the following: treatment modality of the primary tumor, treatment modality of the recurrence, type of chemotherapy regimen, and disease-free interval from initial diagnosis to the first recurrence.