The effect of surgical debulking on the response of patients with ovarian carcinoma to chemotherapy.

ABSTRACT

The role of debulking surgery as an adjuvant to chemotherapy in advanced ovarian carcinoma was examined. Debulking surgery did not alter the overall response rate to chemotherapy. Surgical resection, though, was associated with an increased percentage of complete pathological remissions, particularly in patients receiving efficacious chemotherapy. Whether debulking surgery is causal or a prognostic factor remains conjectural.