Selective irradiation for the treatment of recurrent ovarian carcinoma involving the vagina or rectum.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of selective irradiation in the management of recurrent or persistent ovarian carcinoma involving the vagina or rectum after initial surgery or surgery and chemotherapy.

METHODS

Twenty-eight patients with recurrent or persistent vaginal and/or perirectal disease from ovarian carcinoma received selective irradiation and were evaluated for local control, survival, and quality of life. Seventy-nine percent had previously received various combinations of chemotherapy after initial surgery. At recurrence, 68% of the 28 patients were treated with external beam irradiation only, 7% with brachytherapy only, and 18% with both external beam irradiation and brachytherapy. In addition, 50% of the patients received various combinations of chemotherapy before or after radiotherapy and 3 patients received additional surgery.

RESULTS

Vaginal bleeding was controlled in all patients and a complete symptomatic response was achieved in 79% of the symptomatic patients. Survival after recurrence at 2 years was 57% for patients who had no liver or extra-abdominal metastasis at the time of radiotherapy (21 patients) and 0% for patients who had liver or extra-abdominal metastases (7 patients). Median survival of 5 patients with abdominal and pelvic disease and 16 patients with no extrapelvic disease at the time of recurrence was 2.16 (0.16-10.67) and 2.08 (0.58-27) years, respectively, after recurrence. Fifty percent of the 16 patients without extrapelvic disease had a complete response to radiotherapy (CR group) and the remaining had a partial response or stable disease (non-CR group). The 1-year survival after salvage irradiation in this same group was 100% in the CR group and 37.5% in the non-CR group (P < 0.0001). There are 4 long-term survivors in the CR group who are still alive in excess of 5 years after salvage radiotherapy. Thirty-five percent (5/14) of the patients with pelvic disease only recurred in the unirradiated upper abdomen.

CONCLUSIONS

Radiation can be considered an effective treatment option for patients with vaginal and/or perirectal recurrences of ovarian carcinoma. It offers excellent palliation to patients with disseminated disease and may result in both local control and long-term survival in patients with nondisseminated disease. This location may represent a sanctuary site from chemotherapy. Pelvic irradiation alone may be effective salvage and the addition of brachytherapy may improve local control, particularly in patients with disease confined to the pelvis who undergo debulking or chemotherapy.