[Clinical aspects and therapy in primary ovarian cancer]

The charts and the histological slides of 122 cases of ovarian cancer, treated at the 2nd Gynaecological Department, University of Vienna, in the years 1968 to 1977 were reexamined. The statistic evaluation were done by Pearson's correlations coefficient, the Breslow and Mantel test or the trend test after Tarone. Priority was given to the prognostic value of all the data gathered. Problems of presurgical diagnosis and symptoms were outlined. The 5 years survival rate was in stage I 73%, in stage II 25% and in stage III 5%. The survival curves of stage Ia and Ib did not show any differences wether the adnexa had been removed or total exstirpation had been performed. The presence of ascites however impaired the prognosis significantly. In almost all cases of stage II total exstirpation had been performed. In stage III no significantly different effects could be observed between "incomplete" surgery as probatoria, exstirpation of the inflicted adnexa and total exstirpation of the internal genitals. Therefore an additional total omentectomy seems to be obligatory for further improvement of survival curves. A significant improvement of the survival rates has been achieved by telecobalt irradiation.