Whole abdomen irradiation in epithelial ovarian cancer: A single institution study

Background: The examination of the use of whole abdomen irradiation open field technique in optimally debulked patients with no residual disease with epithelial ovarian cancer (OC). Methods: Between 1993 and 2007, 20 patients with optimally cytoreduced epithelial OC were treated with WAI. The stage distribution was stage I in 15 patients, stage II in 1, and stage III in 4. The grade distribution was grade 1 in 10 patients, grade 2 in 4, and grade 3 in 6. WAI consisted of 30 Gy, delivered in daily fractions, mainly of 1.5 Gy (95%), 5 days/weekly, in 14 patients. After abdominal irradiation, in 75% of the patients a pelvic boost, and in 7 a boost to other risk sites was given to reach 45 - 50 Gy. Nine patients received platinum based chemotherapy (CT). Median follow-up was 7.96 years. Results: The overall survival (OS) rate was 82% and 70% at 5 and 10 years. A tendency to better survival was found in patients with age ≤ 40 than in those with > 40 years (100%:100% vs. 68%:51%; p=0.03). Patients with grade 1-2 tumors had significantly better 5- and 10-year survival rate than those with grade 3 tumors (100%:100% vs. 40%:20%; p<0.00). The 5- and 10-year OS for the patients 'with' and 'without' a pelvic boost turned to be in favor of the patients 'with' the boost (91%:91% vs. 60%:40%; p=0.02). In 15 patients (75%) RT was transiently interrupted because of acute gastrointestinal and hematological toxicity. Neither grade 4 acute complications nor was mortality observed. Late gastrointestinal effect developed in 1 patient, presented with grade 4 complications. The development of second primary malignancy was not observed during the follow-up period. Conclusion: WAI achieves a quite favorable 5- and 10-year survival rate with an acceptable risk of acute and late side effects in properly selected patients with epithelial OC