Impact of Bevacizumab-containing Primary Treatment on Outcome of Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: An Italian Study

Abstract

Background/aim: The aim of the study was to assess the outcome of advanced ovarian cancer patients who i) underwent primary surgery followed by carboplatin/paclitaxel-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab, ii) were in complete response after chemotherapy, iii) and subsequently recurred.

Patients and methods: The hospital records of 138 complete responders after chemotherapy with (n=58) or without (n=80) bevacizumab were reviewed.

Results: Both survival after recurrence and overall survival were related to age (≤61 vs. >61 years, p=0.002 and p=0.0001), performance status (0 vs. ≥1, p=0.002 and p=0.001), histotype (serous vs. non serous, p=0.005 and p=0.01), time to recurrence (≥12 vs. <12 months, p<0.0001 and p<0.0001) and treatment at recurrence (surgery plus chemotherapy vs. chemotherapy, p=0.01 and p=0.004), but not to first-line treatment.

Conclusion: This investigation failed to detect a more aggressive behavior of recurrent ovarian cancer after bevacizumab-containing primary treatment.

Keywords: Epithelial ovarian cancer; bevacizumab; carboplatin; chemotherapy; complete response; paclitaxel; primary debulking surgery; recurrence.