Whole‐abdomen, single‐dose consolidation radiotherapy in patients with pathologically confirmed complete remission of advanced ovarian epithelial carcinoma: a long‐term survival analysis

. The value of consolidation therapy in advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients is controversial. The aim of the present study was to assess the long‐term survival of patients with a pathologically confirmed complete remission who had consolidation by single‐dose, whole‐abdominopelvic radiotherapy. Of 96 histologically confirmed stage II–IV epithelial ovarian carcinoma patients who underwent cytoreductive surgery followed by high‐dose, platin‐based chemotherapy, 57 were in complete clinical remission at the end of therapy and 50 underwent a second‐look laparotomy. The study group comprises 32 consecutive patients who had no pathological evidence of disease and who received 800 cGy single‐dose, whole‐abdominal radiotherapy by an 8 MEV linear accelerator in a single fraction. The absolute 5‐year survival and the actuarial 10‐year survival were 78.7 and 63.3%, respectively. The survival was significantly better in patients who had ≤2 cm residual disease at the completion of the original operation. No severe postradiation complications were encountered. Mild complications were seen in three (9.4%) patients. Our data indicate a favorable long‐term survival of patients with a negative second‐look laparotomy who had consolidation with single‐dose, whole‐abdominal radiotherapy. These results seem to suggest that a collaborative, prospective, randomized multiarm study is indicated to solve the controversial issue of consolidation therapy.