Surgical treatment for advanced epithelial carcinoma of the ovary.

The three surgical steps in the management of carcinoma of the ovary--staging laparotomy, cytoreductive operation and second-look laparotomy--must be critically re-evaluated. During the past decade much data has been assembled on platinum based combination chemotherapy. The results of this type of chemotherapy questions the importance of these procedures. Whereas staging laparotomy will continue to determine important issues in the management of early disease, the use of cytoreduction and second-look laparotomy must be questioned as a routine or important determinant of current treatment results.