Abstract

In a prospective randomized trial, consolidation treatment with radiotherapy or chemotherapy was compared with no treatment in a series of 172 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma, FIGO stage III, with complete surgical remission after primary cytoreductive surgery and induction chemotherapy. In the subgroup with complete pathological remission, progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly (P = 0.032) better in the radiotherapy group (56%) than in the chemotherapy group (36%) and the untreated control group (35%). The number of recurrences was lowest in the radiotherapy group. The overall relapse rate was reduced by 33% and the pelvic recurrences by 43% by consolidation radiotherapy. On the other hand, treatment-related side effects were more frequent in the radiotherapy group.