Adjuvant intraperitoneal chromic phosphate therapy for women with apparent early ovarian carcinoma who have not undergone comprehensive surgical staging.

Forty-nine women with apparent Stage I and II ovarian carcinoma received intraperitoneal phosphate 32 as the only adjuvant therapy after primary surgery. In addition to bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, 40 (82%) had analysis of peritoneal cytology, and 35 (71%) underwent omentectomy. Random peritoneal biopsies and retroperitoneal lymph node sampling were not done in any of these patients. The overall and disease-free survival rates were 86% and 75%, respectively, with no significant differences by stage, histologic grade, histologic type, or low-risk versus high-risk subsets recognized in patients who received comprehensive surgical staging. Seven (58%) of 12 patients had lymph node metastasis as the first site of recurrence, including two of three with late recurrences. Significant morbidity related to intraperitoneal chromic phosphate (32P) occurred in one (2%) woman. These results emphasize the need for comprehensive surgical staging of women with apparent early ovarian carcinoma to aid in the selection of appropriate initial adjuvant therapy.

Duke Scholars

Author Andrew Berchuck Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gynecologic Oncology