Effect of cytoreductive surgery on survival of patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer

Background and Objectives The value of secondary cytoreductive surgery is still controversial, especially in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. In this retrospective study, we investigated the effect on survival of secondary cytoreduction for recurrent disease and variables influencing redebulking surgical outcome. Methods Between 1986 and 1997, 60 patients who received primary cytoreductive surgery and platinum‐based chemotherapy for stage III and IV epithelial ovarian cancer experienced disease recurrence at least 6 months after completion of primary therapy, and secondary surgical cytoreduction was performed. The optimal residual disease cutoff was 1.0 cm. The Cox proportional regression model and Logistic stepwise regression were used in statistical processing of the data. Results The median progression‐free interval between the two operations was 13 months (range, 6–56 months). Optimal secondary cytoreduction was achieved in 23 patients (38.33%). There was a significant difference in survival between patients who were optimally cytoreduced compared to those suboptimally cytoreduced, with an estimated median survival in the optimal group of 19 months vs. 8 months in the suboptimal group (χ2 = 22.04, P = 0.0000). Prognosis of survival for individuals with progression‐free interval >12 months was better than that of those with the interval ≤12 months (χ2 = 5.22, P = 0.0224). Patients with ascites at disease recurrence suffered a pessimistic outcome, with an estimated median survival of 6 vs. 13 months in those without ascites (χ2 = 13.99, P = 0.0002). Multivariate analysis strongly suggested that residual disease after second operation, ascites at disease recurrence, and progression‐free interval were independent prognostic factors of survival. Logistic stepwise regression revealed that recurrent ascites (P = 0.0072, relative risk = 20.36) and residual disease after the second operation (P = 0.0096, relative risk = 5.16) were important determinants of secondary surgical outcome. Conclusions Secondary cytoreductive surgery significantly lengthened survival for patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer. Patients with ascites at disease recurrence, however, were not suitable for aggressive secondary surgery, and redebulking surgery for those with residual disease of >1.0 cm after primary operation should be considered prudently. J. Surg. Oncol. 2000;75:24–30. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.