Impact of maintenance chemotherapy on disease-free survival in patients with stage Ic and II epithelial ovarian cancer

Purpose of investigation: To evaluate the impact on disease free survival (DFS) with maintenance chemotherapy following complete surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with stage Ic and II epithelial ovarian cancer by a retrospective study.

Methods: One hundred and forty patients with stage Ic and stage II epithelial ovarian cancer were classified into three groups according to the modality of maintenance chemotherapy (no therapy, oral or intravenous administration of anti-cancer drugs). DFS was compared among the three groups, and independent predictive factors for relapse were analyzed.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in DFS among the three groups for either stage Ic or II cancers, stage Ic and stage II. Multivariate analysis revealed that independent predictive factors for relapse were stage II (p = 0.004) in all patients and less than three cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II patients (p = 0.015).

Conclusion: Maintenance chemotherapy had no impact on DFS in patients with stage Ic or II epithelial ovarian cancer.

Epithelial ovarian cancer; Maintenance chemotherapy; Disease-free survival

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