Peritoneal papillary serous carcinoma: study of 15 cases and comparison with stage III-IV ovarian papillary serous carcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Peritoneal papillary serous carcinoma (PPSC) is histologically and clinically similar to stage III-IV ovarian papillary serous carcinoma (OPSC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical findings, treatment, and outcome of PPSC patients compared with stage III-IV OPSC patients.

METHODS

Data from the files of 15 PPSC patients and 52 stage III-IV OPSC patients who were managed at the Soroka Medical Center between January 1991 and December 1997 were evaluated.

RESULTS

With regard to patients' characteristics, presenting signs and symptoms, type and extent of surgery, tumor response to first-line chemotherapy, recurrence-free interval, recurrence site, tumor response to second-line chemotherapy, and serum CA-125 levels, no significant differences were observed between the PPSC patients and the stage III-IV OPSC controls. The prevailing presenting symptoms were abdominal mass and ascites. The mainstay of treatment was debulking surgery followed by adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy. The objective response rate to first-line chemotherapy was 80%. The actuarial 5-year survival rate for the PPSC patients and stage III-IV OPSC patients was 52.0% and 20.5%, respectively (0.05 < P < 0.1).

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical and surgical characteristics of patients with PPSC are similar to those of patients with stage III-IV OPSC. When treatment strategies for stage III-IV OPSC are applied to PPSC, the survival of PPSC patients may be similar or even better than that of stage III-IV OPSC patients.