The impact of aggressive debulking surgery and cisplatin-based chemotherapy on progression-free survival in stage III and IV ovarian carcinoma.

Forty consecutive patients with stage III and IV invasive ovarian carcinoma were treated on a phase II protocol consisting of optimal debulking surgery, induction cisplatin, cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (PAC) chemotherapy, 6-month interval laparoscopy, reinduction cisplatin, PAC chemotherapy, and second-look procedure. All 40 patients have either disease progression or have completed the 12-month protocol. Eighty-seven percent of the patients (35) underwent optimal (less than or equal to 2 cm residual) debulking surgery before chemotherapy, in spite of the fact that 50% (20) were referred to Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) as inoperable after initial surgery elsewhere. There were no postoperative deaths and chemotherapy was started in less than or equal to 14 days in 97% of the patients. Of the 40 patients, 30% (12) achieved a pathologic complete remission (11) or a clinical complete remission (one patient refused second-look surgery). The estimated 3-year survival rate was 62%, but the 3-year progression-free survival rate was only 29%. The median survival time was 48 months. The estimated 3-year progression-free survival rate was 31% for residual disease less than or equal to 2 cm. For the five patients with residual disease greater than 2 cm, four died within 3 years. The median survival time of patients with less than or equal to 2 cm residual disease was 48 months, as compared with 21 months for those with greater than 2 cm residual disease. Although the estimated 3-year survival rate of 62% is noteworthy, the 3-year progression-free survival rate of only 29% is probably indicative that in spite of extensive debulking surgery and cisplatin-based chemotherapy as used in this protocol, the long range proportion of patients "cured" will remain small.