Shuchita Goel

Upfront debulking surgery or delayed surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer: Comparison of survival from a noncancer center in India

Abstract Background: In advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) standard of care is upfront debulking surgery (UDS) followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Interval debulking surgery after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT-IDS) is a reasonable alternative. Methods: This study was a retrospective review of patients of Stage III/IV EOC treated either by UDS or NACT-IDS between January 2016 and December 2018 to report the comparison of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with advanced-stage EOC treated with either UDS or NACT-IDS. Results: Out of 50 patients, 19 (38%) underwent UDS, and 31 (62%) received NACT. The mean follow-up duration was 27.7 months. No gross residual disease was achieved in 52.6% of the UDS group and in 70.4% of the NACT-IDS group. The median PFS of 20 and 30 months was observed in the UDS and NACT-IDS groups, respectively (log-rank P = 0.054). The median OS was 36 months in the NACT-IDS group and could not be reached in the UDS group (log-rank P = 0.329). Only residual disease was significantly associated with survival (hazards ratio 3.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.19–7.74) on multivariate Cox regression analysis. Conclusions: In advanced-stage EOC, the survival outcomes of NACT-IDS are comparable with those of UDS. Apart from the patient-specific parameters, the decision for UDS or NACT-IDS should take in account the expertise of the surgeon and the institutional capacity as a whole.