title: Maintenance chemotherapy or not in ovarian cancer stages IIIA, B, C, and IV  after disease recurrence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ovarian cancer may have a high percentage of residual disease after chemotherapy. It is questionable whether second or more lines of chemotherapy are needed in patients with slow-growing residual disease. In the present trial we compared the median survival of patients with residual or recurrent disease who received 1-2 lines of chemotherapy with those who received 3-9 lines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and five patients with advanced stage IIIA, B, C and IV ovarian cancer were divided into two groups based on the number of chemotherapy lines they received. All patients had prior first-line chemotherapy; the criteria for recruitment in the study were: a) residual or recurrent disease and b) failure to respond to first-line therapy. Group A included patients who received 1 or 2 lines of chemotherapy and group B, 3-9 lines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median survival of group A was 76 months and of group B 53 months (p<0.001). Complete response (CR) was observed in 80 out of the 193 7lpar;41.45%) evaluable patients, partial response (PR) in 37 (19.17%), stable disease (SD) in 54 (27.987percnt;) and progressive disease (PD) in 22 (11.40%) patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In ovarian cancer patients with advanced disease, multiple chemotherapy lines (3=9) offer no advantage over 1 or 2 lines, with respect to overall survival.
authors: First Oncology Clinic, Errikos Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece. dr-gps@ath.forthnet.gr
authors: G P
authors: GP
authors: Stathopoulos
authors: Ch
authors: Ch
authors: Papadimitriou
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Aravantinos
authors: S K
authors: SK
authors: Rigatos
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Malamos
authors: J G
authors: JG
authors: Stathopoulos
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Kaparelou
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Koutantos
authors: Ch
authors: Ch
authors: Andreadis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D010349:Patient Compliance
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen