Results of radiation therapy in the treatment of epithelial carcinoma of the ovary.

Between 1967 and 1976, 82 patients who had epithelial carcinoma of the ovary and were treated with surgery and postoperative radiation therapy, respectively, were studied. Of these patients, 35% had Stage I disease, 16% Stage II, 45% Stage III, and 4% Stage IV. Serous cystadenocarcinoma was the histologic cell type in 54% of the patients, and mucinous cystadenocarcinoma was involved in 24%. Of the tumors, 35% were Grade 1, 34% Grade 2, 18% Grade 3, and 13% were unspecified. Survival at five years was 96% for Stage I patients, 60% for Stage II, and 60% for Stage III. No stage IV patient survived past two years. Stage III patients with no palpable tumor prior to radiation therapy did well, with 80% alive at more than two years, while only 10% of Stage III patients with palpable tumors prior to radiation therapy are alive. Patients with Stage III disease treated by whole-abdominal irradiation with a pelvic boost did better than those who received 3,000 rad or less to the pelvis. Radiation therapy continues to be an important treatment modality in epithelial carcinoma of the ovary, particularly in patients with minimal tumor burden.