CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, Vol 18, 298-299, Copyright
© 1968 by American Cancer Society
The Changing Prognosis and Treatment in Cancer of the Ovary
Equinn W. Munnell M.D., F.A.C.S., F.A.C.O.G.
1. The results of the treatment of 235 cases of ovarian cancer during 1952-1961 inclusive have been reviewed and compared with the results in 200 cases treated during 1922-1943, and 148 cases treated during 1944-1951.
2. A significant improvement in five year survival is noted, as shown by a 40 percent survival in the most recent series as compared with a 28 percent survival in each of the two previous series.
3. This improvement in five year survival was not due to earlier diagnosis or to a more favorable distribution of cases or to chemotherapy.
4. The improvement apparently was due to the more frequent use of post-operative irradiation as well as to more aggressive and more extensive surgery.
5. Chemotherapy, although it has palliative value, in this series has not been shown to have significant curative value. However, its use in this series was entirely in preterminal patients.
6. It is felt that the basic concepts of the treatment of cancer of the ovary should be (a) maximum surgery possible resorting to omentectomy, appendectomy, and local bowel resections for localized metastases in addition to total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and (b) the preferential and frequent or routine use of postoperative irradiation as the primary surgical adjunct when the disease has spread beyond the ovaries.
