Ovarian cancer in the elderly: outcomes with neoadjuvant chemotherapy or primary cytoreduction.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have suggested inferior outcomes for elderly women with ovarian cancer. Our goal was to evaluate neoadjuvant chemotherapy versus primary cytoreduction in elderly women.


METHODS
A retrospective chart review was performed for women aged 65+ diagnosed with ovarian cancer at our institution between 1997 and 2007. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate complication rates. Survival was evaluated with Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method.


RESULTS
One hundred seventy-five patients were identified, 34 (19%) of whom were aged 80+. Those aged 65-79 and those 80+ received neoadjuvant chemotherapy with equal frequency (19% vs. 21%, p=0.92). Treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy was associated with odds ratios of 0.80 (95% CI 0.37-1.75) for surgical complications and 0.79 (95% CI 0.33-1.90) for chemotherapeutic complications. In those aged 80+, the frequency of surgical complications (OR 1.01, p=0.62) and chemotherapeutic complications (OR 1.04, p=0.78) did not differ compared to younger patients. Overall survival did not differ based on initial treatment regimen, with 34 months in the primary surgery group and 29 months in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (p=0.65). The median disease specific survival for those aged 65-79 was 35 months, and 24 months in those aged 80+ (p=0.15). Post-operative mortality for patients aged 80+ was zero.


CONCLUSIONS
In our patient population, those aged 80+ have similar surgical and chemotherapy-related complication rates and comparable survival to those aged 65-79. The choice of initial treatment modality does not appear to impact survival when the decision is made in a selective fashion.
McLean
Kate A
KA
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington 98195-6460, USA. kamclean@u.washington.edu
Shah
Chirag A
CA
Thompson
Sara A
SA
Gray
Heidi J
HJ
Swensen
Ron E
RE
Goff
Barbara A
BA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome