Quality of Life in Platinum-Sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: Chemotherapy Versus Surgery Plus Chemotherapy.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was designed to compare quality of life in a sample of Italian patients affected by platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer and submitted to chemotherapy alone or secondary cytoreductive surgery plus chemotherapy through validated questionnaires. METHODS: From January 2007 to December 2012, consecutive patients with suspicious recurrence of ovarian cancer, referred to the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, were assessed for this prospective, case-control study. After a diagnostic laparoscopy, surgical resectable patients were enrolled in group A (surgery plus chemotherapy). Patients not suitable for optimal debulking surgery and all patients who refused surgery were enrolled in group B (chemotherapy alone). At beginning of treatment, after the third and sixth cycle of chemotherapy, all eligible patients were asked to fill in QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ-OV28 questionnaires. RESULTS: Group A included 38 patients and underwent SCS followed by chemotherapy; group B included 16 patients that were submitted to chemotherapy alone. Quality-of-life scores of both questionnaires were comparable between groups, with the exception of constipation and pain, which resulted significantly worsened in Group A at 3 months. This difference was no longer present at 6 months. Median overall survival was 72 % for Group A and 56 % in Group B at median follow-up of 35 months for Group A and 32 months for Group B. CONCLUSIONS: Both surgery followed by chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone seem to have a negligible impact on QOL. SCS plus chemotherapy seems to be an effective and tolerable therapeutic option in platinum-sensitive recurrences.