title: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy as ovarian cancer treatment: ever more used with major regional differences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The traditional first-line treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer with primary debulking surgery (PDS) and adjuvant chemotherapy is controversial as some authors report a potential benefit from the alternative treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and interval debulking surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of NACT in Denmark in regard to increased use and regional differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stage IIIC and IV ovarian cancer patients treated in the five Danish tertiary referral centres in the 2005-2010-period were included. The study is based on validated data from The Danish Gynaecological Cancer Database.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1,367 eligible patients 1,069 were treated with PDS and 298 with NACT. In 2005-2007, 11% of patients were treated with NACT. In 2008-2010, this percentage had risen to 30% (p < 0.00001). Between the five referral centres, the use of NACT ranged from 6% to 41% in 2005-2010 (p < 0.00001); from 1 % to 31% in 2005-2007 (p < 0.00001); from 10% to 48% in 2008-2010 (p < 0.00001) and from 9% to 48% in 2010 (p < 0.0008). Patients treated with NACT were significantly older, had inferior ASA scores and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status compared with the patients from the PDS group. There was no difference between treatments in regard to body mass index, stage IV disease or patients with no co-morbidity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of NACT as first-line treatment tripled from 2005-2010, but the regional variability was large which calls for a uniform agreement on treatment principles and evaluation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This study was financially supported by grants from The Copenhagen University Hospital Research Foundation, Manufacturer Einar Willumsens Memorial Trust, The Capital Region of Denmark Research Foundation, The Arvid Nilsson Foundation, The King Christian X Foundation, The Dagmar Marshall Foundation, The Danish Research Foundation, and The Hans and Nora Buchard Foundation.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  not relevant.
authors: Gynækologisk Afdeling, Sektion 7821, Juliane Marie Centret, Rigshospitalet, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. carsten.lindberg.fagoe-olsen@rh.regionh.dk
authors: Carsten L
authors: CL
authors: Fagö-Olsen
authors: Bent
authors: B
authors: Ottesen
authors: Henrik
authors: H
authors: Kehlet
authors: Algirdas
authors: A
authors: Markauskas
authors: Berit J
authors: BJ
authors: Mosgaard
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Ottosen
authors: Charlotte H
authors: CH
authors: Søgaard
authors: Erik
authors: E
authors: Søgaard-Andersen
authors: Claus
authors: C
authors: Høgdall
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003718:Denmark; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000639:trends*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000639:trends*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric