Primary peritoneal carcinoma: A report of twelve cases and a review of theliterature

Primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC) is rare tumor histologically identical t o epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC); it is differentiated from EOC based o n the extent of gross ovarian involvement and microscopic invasion of the c ortex. We report 12 cases of PPC which were diagnosed in our Department dur ing a 9-year period. Total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oopho rectomy and omentectomy were performed in 9 patients, while 3 underwent onl y explorative laparotomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. All patients were treated with postoperative platinum-based chemotherapy. After a media n follow-up of 42 months, only 5 patients are alive without disease. PPC is a rare tumor currently managed in the same way as ovarian cancer. Primary debulking surgery and chemotherapy represent the cornerstones of treatment, Considering the limited number of patients with PPC, no definitive conclus ion can be drawn concerning the prognostic factors for survival. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.