Article Text
Abstract
Introduction To investigate the impact of the time interval between completion of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and initiation of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on survival outcomes in patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).
Methods From the institution’s ovarian cancer cohort, we identified EOC patients with FIGO stage IIIC who underwent NAC and interval cytoreductive surgery between 2007 and 2021. Using the median value of the time interval between completion of NAC and initiation of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, patients were divided into two groups, and then clinicopathologic characteristics and survival outcomes were compared between the two groups.
Results In total, 310 patients were included in this analysis. The median time interval was 30 (range 15–62) days. Between the short (<30 days; n=155) and long (≥30 days; n=155) interval groups, no differences in clinicopathologic characteristics were observed. However, the short interval group showed significantly better progression-free survival (P=0.031) but similar overall survival (P=0.060), compared to the long interval group. In multivariate analysis adjusting for confounders, the short interval was identified as an independent favorable prognostic factor for progression-free survival (adjusted HR, 0.714; 95% CI, 0.602–0.901; P=0.043).
Conclusion/Implications The time interval between completion of NAC and initiation of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with recurrence rate of advanced-stage EOC. Efforts to reduce the time interval might be needed in patients undergoing NAC.