[Second-look operations in malignant ovarian cancers]

We have been performing second look operations as a measure to improve the results of ovarian cancer therapy. Remarkable advances have been made recently in anticancer drugs; we have been using such agents in combination with the present method not only after conventional trial laparotomies, but also wherever possible in cases having undergone one year of chemotherapy, especially cases presenting neither subjective nor objective symptoms. Of the cases where a therapeutic effect of the drugs was observed, the patient's life was prolonged whenever all residual tumors could be removed as a result of this method. As none of the tumor markers currently in use has been found to be effective in early detection, the second look operation would seem to be indicated both for early detection of reoccurrence and judgment of therapeutic results.