Clinical outcomes and prognostic factors of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer subjected to first-line treatment: a retrospective study of 251 cases.

A total of 251 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) treated between 2002 and 2008 was retrospectively analyzed to investigate the long-term outcomes and prognostic factors of these patients, particularly those who underwent primary debulking surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. Clinicopathological parameters, including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), were also analyzed. The median follow-up period from the end of initial treatment to June 2010 was 58 months. The three-year PFS rate was 61.7% for International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) I-II, 19.9% for FIGO III-IV, and 33.9% for all stages. By comparison, the five-year PFS rate was 44.6% for FIGO I-II, 17.7% for FIGO III-IV, and 28.3% for all stages. The three-year OS rate was 67.9% for FIGO I-II, 41.7% for FIGO III-IV, and 50.2% for all stages. The five-year OS rate was 52.7% for FIGO I-II, 30.8% for FIGO III-IV, and 39.2% for all stages. Univariate analysis revealed that advanced FIGO stage, serum CA125, and suboptimal debulking were significant factors affecting PFS and OS. In multivariate analysis, PFS was significantly influenced by FIGO stage and suboptimal debulking. However, OS was significantly influenced by advanced FIGO stage only. Our study confirms the efficacy of surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy for EOC. FIGO stage is considered as one of the most reliable predictors of the prognosis of patients with EOC.