Papillary serous carcinoma of the peritoneal surface: matched-case comparison with papillary serous ovarian carcinoma

Between 1984 and 1991, 199 patients underwent laparotomy for epithelial "ovarian" malignancy. In 29 cases (15%) normal-sized ovaries (< 4 cm in diameter) with minimal invasion by papillary serous carcinoma were found. This entity in the setting of peritoneal carcinomatosis has been previously described and is reported here as papillary serous cancer of the peritoneal surface (PSPS). The clinical, surgical, and pathologic features of PSPS are compared with a group of age-, grade-, and stage-matched cases with papillary serous ovarian carcinomas (PSOC). PSPS was also characterized by ascites (mean = 3036 cc), malignant washings (91%), and omental involvement with bulky infiltration and/or multiple tumor nodules (96%). Mean cytoreduction in the PSPS group was 65.5% compared to 79% in the PSOC group (P = 0.049). Patients received combination chemotherapy with platinum-based regimens. In general, there was a poor response to treatment with a disease-free interval of 3.4 and median survival time of 19 months in PSPS compared to 11.7 and 31 months in the PSOC patients. Patients with PSPS have more limited cytoreduction, shorter disease-free interval, and shorter overall survival time. Such differences prompt re-evaluation of treatment modalities for PSPS and recognition that this is a condition distinct from PSOC.