title: The role of postoperative alkylating agent therapy in early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: Forty-six patients with early (Stage I and II) ovarian cancer referred as free of residual disease after primary surgery, selected for high-risk features, were treated with adjuvant single-agent alkylating therapy comprising either intravenous cyclophosphamide (1 g/m2) in 36 patients, or oral melphalan (0.2 mg/kg daily for 5 days) in eight. Cyclophosphamide was repeated every 3 weeks for 10 cycles and melphalan every 6 weeks for 12 cycles. With a median follow-up of 36+ months, 18 patients have relapsed. The actuarial 5-year relapse-free survival was 48% and the overall 5-year survival was 54%; median survival was 84 months. Pretreatment FIGO stage was the single most important predictor of relapse-free and overall survival duration. For patients with Stage IA and IB tumours the 5-year actuarial relapse-free survival was 89%; for patients with stage IC and II (all substages), the 5-year relapse-free survival was 24% (P = 0.001). For this latter group adjuvant single alkylating agent therapy was not adequate and alternative therapeutic regimens are required. The problem of suboptimal primary surgical staging is also addressed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Christie Hospital and Holt Radium Institute, Manchester.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mackintosh
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.forename: V R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Tindall
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crowther
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000473:pathology; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008558:Melphalan