Secondary cytoreduction surgery improves prognosis in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus regarding the secondary cytoreduction surgery (CRS) in recurrent ovarian cancer patients. The present study aims to determine the value of secondary CRS and the eligible subgroup for this procedure. METHODS: 96 platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer patients were recruited from Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research between 1992 and 2011. Follow-up was conducted based on the surveillance protocol of MD Anderson Cancer Center. Cox proportional hazards model and log-rank test were used to assess the associations between the survival durations and covariates. Logistic regression analysis was used to explore optimal secondary CRS related factors. RESULTS: Optimal secondary CRS was associated with time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) in patients (p < 0.01 both). Optimal secondary CRS and asymptomatic recurrent were similarly associated with longer OS (median: 79.2 vs. 53.9 and 76.1 vs. 56.0 months with p = 0.02 and p = 0.04, respectively) and TTP (median: 13.9 vs. 10.5 and 19.3 vs. 9.0 months with p = 0.02 and p = 0.03, respectively) than counterparts. Optimal initial CRS (p = 0.01), asymptomatic recurrent (p = 0.02) and longer progression-free survival duration (p = 0.02) were the independent indicators of optimal secondary CRS. CONCLUSIONS: Optimal secondary CRS had survival benefit for platinum-sensitive epithelial ovarian cancer. Asymptomatic recurrent was one of the recruited factors for this procedure.