[Chemotherapy of advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma]

The role of chemotherapy in the management of carcinoma of the ovary is becoming increasingly important. It is the first-line treatment of choice in all patients with stage III or IV of disease and where tumor deposits larger than 2 cm remain in the abdominal cavity after surgery. Until recently the main drugs have been used to treat ovarian cancer are the alkylating agents. In addition to these agents three new active drugs - hexamethylmelamine, adriamycin, cis-platinum - have been studied and their potential role is more carefully defined. Today the definition and better understanding of prognostic criteria play a primary role in the selection of treatment drugs. With continued efforts to define optimum treatment modalities and by application of some of the new treatment ideas coming from the laboratory, perhaps the poor survival of patients with ovarian epithelial malignancies will be further improved.