Objectives: While radiation therapy is administered as a palliative treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer, it remains unclear whether it improves the prognosis.
Methods: The effects and adverse events of radiation therapy for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer were investigated using medical records.
Results: Herein, 46 subjects comprising 33 patients whose recurrent lesions were contained within the irradiation field (therapeutic radiation group; TRG) and 13 patients with some recurrent lesions outside the irradiation field (palliative radiation group; PRG) were included. The TRG achieved a response rate (RR) of 66%, a disease control rate (DCR) of 100%, a progression-free survival (PFS) of 10 months, and an overall survival (OS) of 20 months. The PFS after radiation therapy was significantly longer than that following chemotherapy received just before radiation therapy. The PFS of patients with recurrent intrapelvic lesions was longer than that of patients with some extrapelvic recurrence. There was no significant association between PFS after radiation therapy and the duration from the previous chemotherapy or histological type. The RR, DCR, PFS, and OS of the PRG were 30 and 90% and 2 and 6 months, respectively. Serious adverse events were rare.
Conclusions: Radiation therapy is a potential option for chemotherapy-resistant, localized recurrent ovarian cancer. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.