Introduction: Primary surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy is the standard treatment in ovarian cancer patients. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is one of the treatment modes in patients with a poor general condition or advanced disease, not adjustable for primary surgery. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the efficacy of this new option of therapy is comparable to the standard method.
Materials and methods: 319 ovarian cancer patients, FIGO Stage III and IV, have been analyzed. Within this group, 50 women were treated with neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. 18 patients were operated after three cycles of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, and 32 patients--after six cycles. Results of treatment were evaluated, including disease-free survival, and number of complications. Factors that may influence the treatment results were also analyzed.
Results: Median disease-free survival in the group treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (group 3), and operated on after three cycles of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (group 1), were 19 and 20 months, respectively. For the group operated on after six cycles of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (group 2), median disease-free survival was 15 months (p = 0.27). The following factors have been found to influence treatment results: optimal cytoreduction and tumor grading. There was no difference in complication rates among the three analyzed groups.