Quality of life in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer: chemotherapy versus surgery plus chemotherapy

This study was designed to compare quality of life in a sample of Italian patients affected by platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer and submitted to chemotherapy alone or secondary cytoreductive surgery plus chemotherapy through validated questionnaires. From January 2007 to December 2012, consecutive patients with suspicious recurrence of ovarian cancer, referred to the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, were assessed for this prospective, case-control study. After a diagnostic laparoscopy, surgical resectable patients were enrolled in group A (surgery plus chemotherapy). Patients not suitable for optimal debulking surgery and all patients who refused surgery were enrolled in group B (chemotherapy alone). At beginning of treatment, after the third and sixth cycle of chemotherapy, all eligible patients were asked to fill in QLQ-C30 (version 3.0) and EORTC QLQ-OV28 questionnaires. Group A included 38 patients and underwent SCS followed by chemotherapy; group B included 16 patients that were submitted to chemotherapy alone. Quality-of-life scores of both questionnaires were comparable between groups, with the exception of constipation and pain, which resulted significantly worsened in Group A at 3 months. This difference was no longer present at 6 months. Median overall survival was 72 % for Group A and 56 % in Group B at median follow-up of 35 months for Group A and 32 months for Group B. Both surgery followed by chemotherapy and chemotherapy alone seem to have a negligible impact on QOL. SCS plus chemotherapy seems to be an effective and tolerable therapeutic option in platinum-sensitive recurrences.