Results of treatment of primary ovarian carcinoma

A retrospective evaluation of 146 patients with primary ovarian carcinoma treated in the University Central Hospital of Tampere over the period 1962-1971 is presented. Diagnosis and clinical stage of the carcinoma were always confirmed operatively. 54.1% of the cases were diagnosed at clinical stage I-II. The mode of treatment was surgery without any adjuvant therapy in only 15 cases (10.3%), surgery and chemotherapy in 55 cases (37.7%), surgery combined with chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 29 cases (19.9%) and surgery combined with radiotherapy in 13 cases (8.9%). In 34 cases of advanced ovarian cancer the operation remained explorative. Chemotherapy comprised high-dose cyclosphosphamide therapy and radiotherapy was given as external irradiation. The 5-year survival rate in the entire material was 47.9%; in stage I 82.3%, stage II 58.8%, stage III 23.1% and stage IV 0%. The prognosis was best for patients with mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and poorest for patients with anaplastic and endometrioid adenocarcinoma.