Efficacy of modern chemotherapy and prognostic factors in patients with ovarian metastases from gastric cancer: A retrospective AGEO multicentre study.

BACKGROUND

Ovarian metastases from gastrointestinal tumours frequently lead to locoregional complications and undermine quality of life. The chemosensitivity of ovarian metastases from gastric cancer is unknown.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy of modern chemotherapy regimens in first-line treatment for patients with ovarian metastases from gastric cancer.

METHODS

All consecutive patients with ovarian metastases from gastric cancer who received at least one cycle of chemotherapy were included in this retrospective study.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients were included (median age, 50.5 years; synchronous ovarian metastases, 60%). Seventeen patients (48.6%) underwent oophorectomy. Patients were treated with first-line chemotherapy based on platinum (n=14), irinotecan (n=8), taxane plus platinum (n=4) or epirubicin plus platinum (n=9). The median PFS and OS were 6.8 and 18.8 months, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) for extra-ovarian (13.6%) and ovarian (20.9%) metastatic sites was not significantly different (p=0.55). There was no significant difference in terms of ORR on ovarian metastatic site according to the first-line chemotherapy (p=0.21). In multivariate analysis, oophorectomy was an independent prognostic factor for OS (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that ovarian metastases from gastric cancer are not more resistant than extra-ovarian metastases, and that oophorectomy is an independent prognostic factor significantly linked to OS. Prospective studies are needed to confirm these results.