USE OF P-32 IN STAGE-III EPITHELIAL CARCINOMA OF THE OVARY

From 1982 through 1989, 56 patients with Stage III epithelial carcinom a of the ovary received intraperitoneal chromic phosphate following ch emotherapy and second look (52 pts) or as the only postsurgical manage ment (4 pts). Median follow-up was 48 months (range of 24 to 108 month s). The 4 patients treated following primary surgery with P-32 without chemotherapy had microscopic abdominal disease (3 pts) or complete re duction of gross abdominal disease (1 pt), and their 5-year survival w as 100%. Of the 52 patients treated with P-32 following PAC chemothera py, 23 were pathologic negative, 15 had microscopic residual, and 14 h ad gross residual at second look. The 5-year survival following second look was 75% for negative, 48% for microscopic, and 32% for gross res idual. There were 4 Grade 3 GI complications (7%). There were no compl ications in the 38 patients who received the P-32 within 12 hr of surg ery. The use of P-32 as an adjuvant for Stage I and II epithelial carc inoma of ovary has been found to be effective in prior GOG trials. We have expanded the selection criteria in patients with Stage III carcin oma to include those who can be surgically reduced to microscopic resi dual at primary surgery or second look following chemo reduction. Beca use of multiple prognostic variables affecting survival in Stage III o varian cancer, a randomized study with control arm would be necessary to draw firm conclusions regarding the effectiveness of P-32. The 5-ye ar survival in this group of patients compares favorably to published reports. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.