Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecology malignancy. The aim of this study was to assess the role of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with carboplatin, as a consolidative treatment, in reducing relapse and increasing survival of patients in advanced epithelial ovarian cancers, as well as evaluation of its toxicity.
Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer in stages II-IV in Gynecology oncology department in Valiasr University Hospital, Tehran during 2005-2010. They were enrolled through non-random sequential selection. They divided into 18 cases as the intervention group (receiving intraperitoneal chemotherapy) and 12 patients as the control group (with only retrospective follow-up). The cases received 3 cycles of 400 mg/m2 intraperitoneal carboplatin every 21 days following intravenous chemotherapy. Mean survival of two and five years, progression-free interval, overall survival, relapse, demographic parameters, drug toxicities and pathologic types of cancers were coded in the two groups and compared using SPSS 14.
Results: The mean ages of cases and controls were 52.4 ± 8.6 and 55.1 ± 11.5 years. The mean duration of relapse-free survival was 13 ± 8.6 months for the cases and 9.5 ± 4.3 months for the control patients (not statistically different, P>0.05). The mean overall survival for cases and controls were 39 ± 16.5 and 30.8 ± 16.2 months, respectively (no significant difference, P>0.05). The frequency of drug toxicities in the cases was 5.6%, and consisted of mild-to-moderate abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Conclusion: consolidation therapy with intraperitoneal carboplatin may not increase overall survival, reduce relapse rate or decrease mortality, though it does not induce considerable side effects.
Keywords: carboplatin; consolidation chemotherapy; epithelial ovarian cancer; intraperitoneal injection; survival rate.