New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Ovarian cancer patients may benefit from pelvic radiotherapy

Date:
November 18, 2014
Source:
Loyola University Health System
Summary:
Pelvic radiotherapy (RT) may help treat a rare form of ovarian cancer that can recur in women after surgery and chemotherapy, researchers report. The study evaluated 56 patients with ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive form of ovarian cancer that is more likely to be resistant to chemotherapy and to have a poorer prognosis than other forms of this disease.
Share:
FULL STORY

Pelvic radiotherapy (RT) may help treat a rare form of ovarian cancer that can recur in women after surgery and chemotherapy. These findings were published by researchers from Loyola University Health System in the latest issue of the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer.

"Despite the intense therapeutic and surgical regimen typically used to treat ovarian cancer, outcomes remain poor," said William Small Jr., MD, chair, Department of Radiation Oncology, LUHS. "This study provided encouraging preliminary results for the use of RT in women with ovarian cancer."

The study evaluated 56 patients with ovarian clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive form of ovarian cancer that is more likely to be resistant to chemotherapy and to have a poorer prognosis than other forms of this disease.

All but one patient in the study received chemotherapy for a median of six cycles. Six patients received pelvic RT and 50 did not. Ovarian cancer initially recurred in the pelvis of 25 percent of patients while nearly 11 percent had disease recurrence outside of the pelvis. Rates of recurrence were 28 percent, 39 percent and 43 percent at three-, five- and eight-year follow-up points, respectively. The study demonstrated a trend toward a reduction in the incidence of tumor recurrence in patients who had pelvic RT.

"Pelvic RT after chemotherapy may be more beneficial in treating this form of ovarian cancer compared with other types," Dr. Small said. "However, additional research is needed to further evaluate the therapy for this type of ovarian cancer."


Story Source:

Materials provided by Loyola University Health System. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Michael Leonard Friedlander, Alan Covens, Rosalind M. Glasspool, Felix Hilpert, Gunnar Kristensen, Sanghoon Kwon, Frederic Selle, William Small, Els Witteveen, Peter Russell. Gynecologic Cancer InterGroup (GCIG) Consensus Review for Mullerian Adenosarcoma of the Female Genital Tract. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, 2014; 24: S78 DOI: 10.1097/IGC.0000000000000239

Cite This Page:

Loyola University Health System. "Ovarian cancer patients may benefit from pelvic radiotherapy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 November 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141118124317.htm>.
Loyola University Health System. (2014, November 18). Ovarian cancer patients may benefit from pelvic radiotherapy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141118124317.htm
Loyola University Health System. "Ovarian cancer patients may benefit from pelvic radiotherapy." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141118124317.htm (accessed March 18, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES