Elderly patients and ovarian epithelial cancer (OEC) or primary peritoneal carcinoma (PPC): A retrospective analysis.

Abstract

e20718 Background: OEC frequency in elderly patients is increasing around the world and it’s expected to continue rising in the future. PPC is an entity with a similar behaviour. OEC is the most common cause of gynaecologic cancer-related death and it’s the fifth leading cause of cancer associated mortality among women; its relative risk is higher among elderly patients. In this study we try to identify clinical factors in elderly OEC and PPC patients in order to improve current medical management and to enhance clinical outcomes. Methods: From January 2007 to December 2011 a total of 53 elderly patients were included (≥65 years old). PPC: 11.3%; OEC: 88.7%. ECOG 0/1/2/3/4: 24.5/34/26.4/7.5/5.7%; 1.9% unknown. Stage at diagnosis: III (52.8%); IV (30.2%). Ca125 was increased in 79.2% of the cases; 64.2% of the patients underwent debulking surgery. The majority of patients (94.4%) received chemotherapy: monotherapy (13.2%) or polychemotherapy (86.8%). Results: Among 38 evaluable patients, partial response was observed in 45.4%, complete response in 27.2%, stable disease in 24.4% and progression in 3%; 18% of patients were retreated with the same schedule (platinum sensitivity) and 26.4% of the patients received more than one line of chemotherapy (range 2-5). Significant differences in overall survival (OS) were observed in multivariate analysis according to performance status (p=0.018). Median OS for all patients was 131 weeks. Conclusions: In our experience, results in elderly patients are comparable to those expected in younger patients. In this population, treatment options must be optimized.