Abstract

BACKGROUND Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecology malignancy. The aim of this study was to assess the role of intraperitoneal chemotherapy with carboplatin, as a consolidative treatment, in reducing relapse and increasing survival of patients in advanced epithelial ovarian cancers, as well as evaluation of its toxicity. METHODS This clinical trial was conducted on 30 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer in stages II-IV in Gynecology oncology department in Valiasr University Hospital, Tehran during 2005-2010. They were enrolled through non-random sequential selection. They divided into 18 cases as the intervention group (receiving intraperitoneal chemotherapy) and 12 patients as the control group (with only retrospective follow-up). The cases received 3 cycles of 400 mg/m(2) intraperitoneal carboplatin every 21 days following intravenous chemotherapy. Mean survival of two and five years, progression-free interval, overall survival, relapse, demographic parameters, drug toxicities and pathologic types of cancers were coded in the two groups and compared using SPSS 14. RESULTS The mean ages of cases and controls were 52.4 ± 8.6 and 55.1 ± 11.5 years. The mean duration of relapse-free survival was 13 ± 8.6 months for the cases and 9.5 ± 4.3 months for the control patients (not statistically different, P>0.05). The mean overall survival for cases and controls were 39 ± 16.5 and 30.8 ± 16.2 months, respectively (no significant difference, P>0.05). The frequency of drug toxicities in the cases was 5.6%, and consisted of mild-to-moderate abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. CONCLUSION consolidation therapy with intraperitoneal carboplatin may not increase overall survival, reduce relapse rate or decrease mortality, though it does not induce considerable side effects.