Long-term follow-up of women with ovarian cancer after positive second-look laparotomy

Objective Previous reports indicate that cytoreduction and salvage therapy with P32 or whole abdominal radiation may improve survival in patients with positive findings at second-look laparotomy (SLL). The aim of this investigation was to determine whether these findings held true with extended follow-up and a larger patient cohort. Methods From 1977 (the year platinum-based chemotherapy was introduced to our institution) to 1989, 150 patients had persistent disease at SLL. Relevant clinical information was extracted through retrospective chart review. Results One hundred forty-five patients were followed until death, with a median follow-up of 15.4 years for the 5 living patients. Median actuarial survival from the time of SLL was 18 months. Tumor grade (P = 0.003) and pre- and post-SLL tumor size (P < 0.0001) were significant determinants of survival by univariate analysis. Patients with microscopic disease or those with ≤1 cm disease rendered microscopic at SLL had improved survival relative to those with ≤1 cm and macroscopic disease following SLL (P = 0.03) (median survivals of 3.3, 2.5, and 1.4 years, respectively). In contrast, median survival of those with >1 cm disease cytoreduced to microscopic disease was no different than those with macroscopic residual, even if ≤1 cm (1.3 and 1.0 years, respectively). After adjusting for tumor size, salvage treatment was not a significant predictor of survival. Conclusion With long-term follow-up there was no suggestion that the type of salvage therapy (e.g., P32 or WART) influenced survival. Rather, low-grade disease and low tumor burdens following cytoreduction were associated with improved survival on multivariate analysis.