Bowel complications in the management of ovarian cancer

In a consecutive series of 163 patients referred with malignant ovarian tumours there were 24 (14.7%) who developed major bowel complications; 21 patients were operated upon for bowel obstruction and had a mean survival time of 8.1 months; 8 of the 24 patients are alive with cancer and 4 are alive without evidence of residual tumour. It is concluded that laparotomy is indicated when bowel complications occur in patients with ovarian carcinoma.