Selective Advantage of NACT in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: A Retrospective Single-Centre Analysis

Background and Objectives: Advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is associated with poor prognosis, with complete macroscopic cytoreduction representing the strongest modifiable predictor of survival. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) followed by interval debulking surgery (IDS) is an alternative to primary debulking surgery (PDS) in patients with high tumor burden. However, its impact on surgical complexity remains debated. This study aimed to compare operative characteristics and survival outcomes between NACT + IDS and PDS using standardized scoring metrics in a real-world oncologic setting. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 47 patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIC-IV high-grade serous EOC treated between January 2018 and August 2022 at a single tertiary center. Twenty-five patients received platinum-taxane-based NACT followed by IDS, and twenty-two underwent upfront PDS with adjuvant chemotherapy. Surgical effort was quantified using the Surgical Complexity Score (SCS), and intra-abdominal tumor burden was assessed via the Peritoneal Cancer Index (PCI). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals were derived from Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Complete cytoreduction (R0) was achieved in 76% of the NACT + IDS group and 68% of the PDS group. Mean surgical complexity and operative time were significantly lower following NACT (SCS 5.0 vs. 6.2, p = 0.04; 140 vs. 197 min, p = 0.001), without significant differences in blood loss, complication rates, or length of hospital stay. Median PFS was 25 months in the NACT + IDS group versus 21 months in the PDS group, and the difference was not statistically significant. Among patients with R0 resection, survival outcomes were comparable between treatment arms. Conclusions: NACT + IDS was associated with shorter and less complex surgeries in selected patients, but survival outcomes appeared similar when R0 was achieved. Data suggest that selective use of NACT in patients with extensive disease burden or limited general health status may be suitable, while confirming that complete cytoreduction remains the most critical prognostic factor, although these survival comparisons are exploratory given the retrospective design and limited sample size.