Is there a current change of maintenance treatment in ovarian cancer? An updated review of the literature.

Maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer has been introduced and evaluated in many large randomized trials; however, its efficacy is still unclear and includes concerns for both short-term and longer-term side effects. Thus far, some therapies that have been studied in this setting showed a delay in tumor progression but unfortunately no improvement in overall survival has been noticed. The introduction of new chemotherapeutic agents redirected research efforts. Assessing benefits of prolonged therapy and its impact in terms of toxicity is considerably important for the decision to administer such treatments. The purpose of this article was to provide an update on the randomized trials and review the role of maintenance therapy in the treatment of ovarian cancer.