The prognostic significance of second-look laparotomy in advanced ovarian cancer

The value of prognostic parameters in predicting the outcome of second look laparotomy (SLL) and survival after SLL was assessed in a series of 115 FIGO III and IV ovarian cancer patients. The prognostic parameters included age of patients, FIGO-stage, differentiation of tumour, maximum diameter of residual disease following the initial operation and clinical, cytologic and histologic results of SLL. No statistically significant difference was found between stage III and IV patients concerning the results of SLL (p = 0.99) and the same is true for the tumour differentiation (p = 0.1) and the age of the patient when first operated (p = 0.15). On the contrary, residual disease following the initial operation is shown to be prognostically significant (p = 0.001). As for the overall survival time, the amount of residual tumour after the SLL is shown to be the most important parameter (p = 0.0002).