title: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in ovarian, primary peritoneal and tubal carcinoma: can imaging results prior to interval debulking predict survival?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether there is an association between improvement of computed tomography imaging results prior to interval debulking with survival in patients treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical and outcome data of all advanced ovarian, primary peritoneal and tubal carcinoma patients who after diagnosis had neoadjuvant chemotherapy and underwent interval debulking during the period 2000-2010, were abstracted. Results of computed tomography imaging at diagnosis and prior to interval debulking were compared. Two parameters were assessed: the change of the size and number of abnormal findings and the change in the amount of ascites. CA-125 level response was also calculated. An assessment of progression free survival and of survival by the Kaplan-Meier method was made according to the change in computed tomography imaging results and according to response of CA-125 levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median progression free survival and the median survival of the 37 study group patients were 7.9 and 49.2 months respectively. No significant difference in progression free survival and survival was observed between patients with marked improvement in the computed tomography results and those with less desirable results (7.93 vs. 7.23 months respectively, p=0.89; 45.8% vs. 52.5% months respectively, p=0.95). There were also no statistically significant difference according to CA-125 level response.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It seems that neither improvement in imaging results nor CA-125 level response can predict the survival of ovarian carcinoma patients prior to interval debulking after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
authors: Gynecologic Oncology Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, E. Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Tel Aviv University, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Menczer
authors: Irena
authors: I
authors: Usviatzov
authors: Erez
authors: E
authors: Ben-Shem
authors: Abraham
authors: A
authors: Golan
authors: Tally
authors: T
authors: Levy