Advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma in Thai women: should we continue to offer second-look laparotomy?

OBJECTIVE: To determine survival among patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) who underwent a second-look laparotomy (SLL) and those refusing the procedure. Also to analyze factor(s) influencing the survival of the patients. METHOD AND MATERIAL: Medical records were reviewed of patients with advanced EOC who were clinically free of disease after primary surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy between January 1, 1992, and December 31, 1998. All of them were offered SLL. Measurement outcomes include patient survival and disease-free survival. RESULTS: There were 50 patients with clinically complete remission after chemotherapy. Sixteen patients underwent SLL, and thirty-four patients refused the procedure (NSLL). Seven patients (43.8%) were reported to have positive SLL. After the median follow-up time of 35 months, 12 patients had died, and 5 patients were lost to follow-up. The median survival time for patients with SLL was about 60 months. Five-year survival rates of patients in the SLL, and NSLL groups were 37 per cent (95%CI = 7%-69%), and 88 per cent (95%CI = 65%-96%) respectively (P<0.001). The median time to relapse was about 25 months for patients with negative SLL. Five-year disease-free survival rates of patients in the negative SLL, and NSLL groups were 28 per cent (95%CI = 4%-59%), and 54 per cent (95%CI = 34%-70%) respectively (P=0.251). By Cox regression analysis, tumor grade was the only significant prognostic factor influencing patients' survival (HR = 6, 95%CI of HR = 1.2-34.2). CONCLUSION: The second-look laparotomy doesn't have a favorable impact on overall and disease-free survival. Tumor grade is the only independent prognostic variable for survival of the patients.

Malignant ascites in female patients: a seven-year review.

Malignant ascites is common in various types of advanced cancer. Our objective was to determine the primary site and the clinical characteristics of female patients presenting with malignant ascites as well as evaluating the outcome. The authors carried out a retrospective study of 118 cases of malignant ascites diagnosed from January 1986 to December 1992 in female patients. Of the 118 cases, the primary site of the neoplasms was gynecologic in 65 cases (cervix 4, endometrium 6, ovary 52, fallopian tube 3) = 55.1 per cent, non-gynecologic 29 cases (GI 18, lymphoma 8, breast 2, kidney 1) = 24.6 per cent, and unknown 24 cases = 20.3 per cent. The mean age of patients in the gynecologic, non-gynecologic and unknown primary site was 50.4, 45.5 and 59.3 years respectively. Surgery combined with chemotherapy was the main treatment in the gynecologic group, whereas, supportive and symptomatic management was the main treatment in the unknown primary group. Treatments in non-gynecologic group were supportive and symptomatic, surgery and chemotherapy. Survival was longer in gynecologic than in the nongynecologic and the unknown primary groups. The most common primary site of malignant ascites in females was ovarian cancer. In malignant ascites in females caused by gynecologic neoplasms, the prognosis as measured by survival was better than in the non-gynecologic and the unknown primary groups.

Epithelial ovarian cancer treated by platinum or platinum analogue with cyclophosphamide: experience in Ramathibodi Hospital.

This study presented the outcome of 92 EOC patients treated by platinum or platinum analogue with cyclophosphamide from January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1995. There were 77 evaluable patients. The follow-up ranged from 4-42 months (median 14 months). The over all 3-year survival was 64 per cent and the median progression-free interval was 16 months for the whole group. There was no significant difference in survival between patients who received cisplatin and those who received carboplatin (P = 0.093). Patients who underwent optimal debulking surgery had significantly longer progression-free interval (P = 0.001) than those who had sub-optimal surgery. Fifty four per cent of patients with clear cell carcinoma died of the disease. Patients who received cisplatin had a drop out rate while on therapy more often (24% vs 5.3%) than that of carboplatin. Toxicities from chemotherapy were moderate but manageable.

Malignant Brenner tumor: a case of aggressive clinical course and cutaneous metastases.

Malignant Brenner tumor is a very rare ovarian tumor of which the definition of this entity and its biologic behavior remain controversial to this day. In this case report a 30-year-old patient with malignant Brenner tumor was presented with an aggressive clinical course and cutaneous metastases. The disease progressed from apparently unilateral ovarian involvement to intraabdominal, lung and cutaneous metastases. She expired within two months of diagnosis of disease. The histopathology of the ovarian tumor and the metastatic skin lesion are illustrated. In the authors' opinion this case should be categorized as a transitional cell carcinoma of the ovary.

Hospital charge of gynecological in-patients at Ramathibodi Hospital.

There have been few studies of hospital charge done in Thailand and that led us to be aware of health economics. In this cross sectional study, 182 gynecological in-patients admitted between July 1 and 31, 1990 were recruited. Mean hospital charge was 3,258.50 baht. The patients's employers bore the main financial burden (48%). The hospital bore 9 per cent of this total financial burden, and the rest (44%) was self paid. The amount of hospital charge may depend on some factors. Further study of this subject should be conducted.

Prognostic factors associated with recurrence in stage IB cervical carcinoma after radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy.

Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy is the treatment of choice for stage IB cervical carcinoma. Recurrence of disease usually results in poor prognosis. The prognostic factors associated with recurrence were analyzed in 182 patients with stage IB cervical carcinoma treated with radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy at Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ramathibodi Hospital from May 1969 to December 1988. Twenty-one patients (11.5%) developed recurrent cervical cancer. Factors which were found to have statistical significance associated with recurrence were positive lymph node, positive surgical margin and cervical lesion size of 3 cm or more. The application of these factors was discussed.

Elective induction of labor: Ramathibodi Hospital (Jan-Jun, 1990).

To assess the outcome of elective induction of labor, 262 deliveries were studied retrospectively and compared with 249 controlled cases whose labor began spontaneously. Elective induction accounted for 61 per cent of all patients induced with the overall induction rate of 11 per cent. Sixty-two per cent of the private cases as opposed to 24 per cent of the nonprivate cases were induced before the expected date of confinement. Among private cases, the cesarean section rate was similar whether the patients were induced or admitted in spontaneous labor. However, when considering the nonprivate cases the cesarean section rate was twice as high if the patients were induced. Mean maternal height and fetal birth weight were similar in both the study and control groups but there were more cases of low birth weight infants in the study group. The fetal outcome as indicated by 5-minute Apgar score was not less than five in both groups.

Recurrence of cervical carcinoma following radical hysterectomy and pelvic node dissection.

The aim of this report is to review the clinical pattern of the recurrent cases. From May 1969 to December 1988, 200 patients with cervical carcinoma stage IB were treated with radical hysterectomy and pelvic node dissection at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University. One hundred and eighty-two patients were included in this study. Twenty-one patients (11.5%) developed recurrent cervical carcinoma. Most of the recurrence were diagnosed within 3 years after surgery. The most common recurrent site was pelvic sidewall. Patients' complaint and abnormal physical findings accounted for 81 percent of the first evidence. Treatment of recurrences was radiation in 15, chemotherapy in 3 and symptomatic treatment in the remaining three. Nine patients died of the recurrent tumor. The median time from recurrence to death was 24 months (range 12-65). The majority of the deaths occurred in the first three years after detection of recurrence. Radiation may be beneficial in treatment of recurrent tumor and in regional control of tumor after surgery.