Systemic therapy developments and their effects regarding the current concept of recurrent ovarian carcinoma as a chronic disease.
OBJECTIVE
To demonstrate how the current concept of recurrent ovarian carcinoma (ROC) as a chronic disease resulted in developments in the systemic treatment strategies and outcome over time.


METHODS
We compared therapy type and course of a population-based cohort whose recurrent disease was diagnosed from 1990 to 2006. We divided the patients into two subgroups depending on the year of diagnosis of ROC (group A 1990-1997, n = 70; group B 1998-2006, n = 63).


RESULTS
Both study groups showed similar results in survival (median recurrent disease-specific survival-A 18 months vs. B 19 months; P = 0.549). In group B, the patients had significantly fewer combination therapies administered [12.0% vs. 24.1%; odds ratio (OR) 0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23-0.81; P = 0.0057], received more therapy lines (> or =3 lines 56.1% vs. 31.1%; OR 3.10; 95% CI 1.37-7.17; P = 0.005) and had significantly longer times of treatment (TT) in relation to the survival time (ST; mean TT/ST-ratio 57.5% vs. 47.5%; difference of the mean values B-A = -10.02; 95%CI -17.99 to -2.05; P = 0.014).


CONCLUSIONS
The finding that survival of ROC patients could not be improved over time should not necessarily be viewed with undue pessimism regarding the general therapy situation. In the more recent study period, a similar outcome could be achieved with less aggressive treatment regimens, i.e., with fewer combination therapies and with longer treatment periods using less toxic agents. When a disease which requires periodic chemotherapy to control progressive course is increasingly treated with a strategy that permits stabilization with limited cumulative toxicity, then the requirements of a chronic disease management have been fulfilled.
Güth
Uwe
U
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Basel, Spitalstrasse 21, 4031 Basel, Switzerland. ugueth@uhbs.ch
Kann
Simone Rachel
SR
Huang
Dorothy Jane
DJ
Schötzau
Andreas
A
Holzgreve
Wolfgang
W
Wight
Edward
E
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage
D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel