title: Prognostic factors in early-stage ovarian cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the main prognostic factors in patients with early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer. Data were extracted from 222 patients with initial stage (I-IIA) invasive epithelial ovarian cancer treated with primary surgery followed or not followed by adjuvant therapy, from 1 January 1980 to 31 December 2008, at the Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Spedali Civili, Brescia, Italy; the median follow-up was 79 months (SD ± 35,945, range 20-250 months). The negative prognostic factors that were statistically significant (p<0.050) in univariate analysis were grade 2, 3, and X (clear cell in our study); stage IB, IC, IIA; positive peritoneal cytology, age equal to/greater than 54; dense adhesions; capsule rupture (pre-operative or intra-operative) and endometrioid histotype (only for disease-free survival (DFS)). Positive cytology was strongly associated with peritoneal relapses, while adhesions were associated with pelvic relapses. A positive prognosis was associated with the mucinous histotype. Conservative treatment had been carried out in 52% of patients under 40 years of age, and we detected only two relapses and three completions of surgery after a few weeks among 31 women in total. Our study indicated a possible execution in patients with patients with cancer stage IA G1-G2 (p=0.030) or IC G1 (p=0.050), provided well staged. Adjuvant chemotherapy improved the survival of cancers that were not IA G1. The positive prognostic role of taxanes must be emphasised, when used in combination with platino.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Spedali Civili di Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Germana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tognon
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carnazza
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragnoli
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calza
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gambino
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Zizioli
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Notaro
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sostegni
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sartori
keywords: adjuvant chemotherapy; conservative treatment; dense adhesions; early stage ovarian cancer; peritoneal cytology; prognostic factors; taxanes