title: Optimal debulking surgery followed by paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy is very effective in treating ovarian carcinosarcomas: a single center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There have been only a few reports on the survival and management of patients with ovarian carcinosarcomas. We evaluated the clinical characteristics, outcomes and prognostic factors of ovarian carcinosarcomas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of data obtained from medical records of 40 patients treated at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between January 1989 and January 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median survival was significantly longer in patients <60 years of age than in those ≥60 (p = 0.001), patients with early-stage compared to advanced tumors (p = 0.035), those with optimally debulked tumors compared to suboptimally (p < 0.001) in the advanced stage, and patients treated with paclitaxel/platinum compared to patients treated with other chemotherapies (p < 0.001). The progression-free interval was longer in patients with early-stage (p = 0.003) and optimally debulked tumors (p = 0.001), as well as in those treated with paclitaxel/platinum (p = 0.049). Multivariate analysis showed that advanced-stage, non-optimal debulking and non-paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy were significant independent predictors of a shorter progression-free interval, and that non-optimal debulking and non-paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy were significant independent predictors of shorter overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early-stage optimal debulking and adequate chemotherapy can influence time to progression and survival, indicating that the most effective treatment for patients with ovarian carcinosarcomas consists of optimal debulking surgery followed by paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Gyeonggi, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung-Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Jae-Joon
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dae-Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jong-Hyeok
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yong-Man
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Joo-Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Young-Tak
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin