Systemic chemotherapy--before or after radical surgery in treatment of patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma?
Zamurovic, M.; Jurisic, A.; Andjelic, S.
European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology 31(5): 564-566
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 0392-2936 PMID: 21061802 Document Number: 639364
The aim of the study was to analyze whether application of systemic chemotherapy prior to radical surgery in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma influences the length of the progression-free period and overall survival rate. This study analyzes two groups of patients in the period 2006-2009. The first group received systemic chemotherapy prior to radical surgery. The second group first had radical surgery after which systemic chemotherapy was administered. The therapeutic response to systemic chemotherapy was analyzed as well as progression-free survival and overall survival which was calculated according to the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log rank test. Statistical analysis showed that patients who were administered systemic chemotherapy prior to radical surgery have significantly better progression-free survival as well as overall survival. Progression-free survival in patients who were first treated with systemic chemotherapy after which radical surgery followed was equal to 28 months and was significantly longer (p = 0.001) than progression-free survival in patients who were first subjected to radical surgery; it equaled 13 months, while the overall survival equaled 43 and 36 months, respectively. Application of systemic chemotherapy prior to radical surgery has a significant influence on the length of the progression-free period and on the length of overall survival of patients affected by advanced ovarian cancer.