title: Evaluation of follow-up strategies for patients with epithelial ovarian cancer following completion of primary treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ovarian cancer is the sixth most common cancer and seventh commonest cause of death in women worldwide. Traditionally, many people who have been treated for cancer undergo long-term follow-up in secondary care. However, it has been suggested that the use of routine review may not be effective in improving survival, quality of life (QoL), or relieving anxiety, or both. In addition, traditional follow-up may not be cost-effective.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the potential benefits of different strategies of follow-up in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer following completion of primary treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this update we searched the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) Issue 7, 2013, MEDLINE and EMBASE from November 2010 to July 2013. We also searched reference lists of review articles and contacted experts in the field.
  
  
  METHODS
  All relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated follow-up strategies for women with epithelial ovarian cancer following completion of primary treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two review authors independently abstracted data and assessed risk of bias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The authors did not identify any new studies that were eligible for inclusion in this update of the review. The search for the original review identified only one RCT that met the inclusion criteria, which included 529 women. This study reported data on immediate treatment of ovarian cancer relapse following rise of serum CA125 levels versus delaying treatment until symptoms developed. All the women participating had previous confirmation of remission, with normal CA125 concentration and no radiological evidence of disease, after surgery and first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.Overall survival between the immediate and delayed arms showed no difference after a median follow-up of 56.9 months (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80 to 1.20; P value 0.85). Time from randomisation to first deterioration in global health score or death was shorter in the immediate treatment group than in the delayed treatment group (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.88; P value < 0.01). The trial was at low risk of bias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Limited evidence from a single trial suggests that routine surveillance with CA125 in asymptomatic patients and treatment at CA125 relapse does not seem to offer survival advantage when compared to treatment at symptomatic relapse. RCTs are needed to compare different types of follow-up, looking at survival, QoL, cost and psychological effects as outcomes.
authors.affiliation: London Metropolitan University, 166-220 Holloway Rd, London, UK, N7 8DB.
authors.forename: Tilean
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Khadra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galaal
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Naik
mesh_terms: D018394:CA-125 Antigen / Q000097:blood; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
chemical_list: D018394:CA-125 Antigen