Oophorectomy versus radiation ablation of ovarian function in patients with metastatic carcinoma of the breast.

A retrospective study of two methods of ovarian ablation as primary therapy for metastatic carcinoma of the breast was carried out using records from this cancer institute. Sixty-one radiation and 97 surgical ovarian ablations, performed from 1972 to 1977, were assessed. Rigid criteria were used to classify response. Over-all response was similar for the surgical and irradiation groups. Survival from the time of ovarian ablation was greater in both groups in those who responded positively than in those who did not. Factors other than estrogen receptor status can determine the response of patients with metastatic carcinoma of the breast to ovarian ablation. These include the disease-free interval, menopausal status, weight and the presence of skeletal or ovarian metastases. The results indicate that clinical determinates and not the efficiency of one method over the other should be the main criteria for choosing between ovarian ablation by irradiation or by oophorectomy.