Survival outcomes of epithelial ovarian cancer treated at a tertiary-level hospital in India.

BACKGROUND: One needs to choose wisely between primary neoadjuvant chemotherapy and primary cytoreductive surgery in ovarian cancer. The aim was to determine the recurrence free survival and overall survival after surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer and also the risk factors for recurrence and death.

METHODS: Electronic medical records of 322 women operated for ovarian, fallopian or primary peritoneal cancer between 2011 and 2015 were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were used to describe patients and their clinical outcomes. Cox proportional hazard models were used for risk factor analysis. Adjusted hazard ratios were obtained for recurrence and death, adjusted for stage, primary treatment modality, residual disease and histology. Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn for probability of recurrence-free survival and overall survival. The log rank test was used to compare survival probabilities.

RESULTS: The majority were stage III or stage IV (78%), serous histology (71%) and high grade (64%). Primary cytoreduction was done in 48% and interval cytoreduction in 52%. The median duration of follow up (survival) was 77 months (95% CI 72-82). There were 179 known recurrences (55.6 %). The estimated median time to recurrence was 22 (95% CI 14.5- 29.5) months. The independent risk factors for recurrence were neoadjuvant chemotherapy [HR 2.14, 95% CI 1.48-3.09], stage III/IV [HR 2.75; 95% CI 1.40-5.41], high grade serous histology [HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.12-2.54] and sub-optimal debulking [HR 3.15, 95% CI 2.19-4.55]. There were 78 known deaths (24.2 %) with a mean time to death of 24.3 (SD 16.1) months. The independent risk factors for death were sub-optimal debulking [HR 3.07; 95% CI 1.78-5.29] and stages III and IV cancer [HR 3.07; 95% CI 1.14-8.27].

CONCLUSIONS: Most ovarian cancers recur within 2 years. Risk factors for mortality are advanced stage and sub-optimal debulking. Maximal efforts at down staging and surgical resection will increase survival.