PLATINUM-BASED CHEMOTHERAPY FOR ADVANCED-STAGE SEROUS OVARIAN-CARCINOMA OF LOW MALIGNANT POTENTIAL

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of platinum-based chemotherapy on tumo r response in patients with advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma of low malignant potential. Patients and methods: We conducted a retrosp ective review of hospital records, pathology slides, and office charts of patients identified as having Stage III or IV serous ovarian cance r of low malignant potential. Results: Between November 1979 and April 1993, 21 patients with advanced-stage serous ovarian carcinoma of low malignant potential received platinum-based chemotherapy following in itial cytoreductive surgery. The amount of residual disease was record ed in 20 patients; 8 (40%) had macroscopic residual tumor <2 cm in lar gest diameter, and 12 (60%) had only microscopic disease. Sixteen pati ents underwent a second-look laparotomy following chemotherapy; 10 (62 .5%) had no evidence of disease, 1 (6%) had a partial response, 2 (12. 5%) had stable disease, and 3 (19%) had progressive disease. During a mean follow-up of 64 months, only 1 patient had died of disease. She h ad progressive disease noted at second-look laparotomy. Five of 6 pati ents who did not have a complete response to initial chemotherapy unde rwent further therapy with oral etoposide (1), intraperitoneal platinu m (2), intraperitoneal mitoxantrone (1), or both (1). The sixth patien t received no further therapy. Three of the patients subsequently rece iving salvage intraperitoneal therapy underwent a third-look laparotom y. Two had partial responses noted, while the third patient had stable disease. Conclusions: Platinum-based chemotherapy is effective in ach ieving surgically documented responses in patients with advanced-stage serous ovarian tumors of low malignant potential. The benefit of this therapy in improving survival is unproven. (C) 1995 Academic Press, I nc.