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Maintenance Therapy for First-Line Treatment of Ovarian Cancer: Is This the Strategy for the Future?

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Abstract

The majority of women with epithelial ovarian cancer are diagnosed an advanced stage of disease. Over 70 % of them will experience a relapse of the disease in a mean time of 15 month; only 30–40 % will survive 5 years. Several treatment strategies have been evaluated for prolonging the time free of disease and reducing the risk of death. Maintenance treatment, i.e., continuation of primary chemotherapy in patients without progression of the disease, has been studied with a variety of agents ranging from purely cytotoxic drugs to targeted molecules such as bevacizumab. However, several controversies regarding the impact of maintenance therapy for treating women with ovarian cancer exist. This chapter details the advantages and disadvantages of continuation medical treatment in newly diagnosed ovarian cancer after primary treatment based on the highest levels of evidence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Gynecology Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Ripamonti 435, Milan, Italy

    Nicoletta Colombo MD

  2. Gynecology Oncology, Centro Integral Oncológico Clara Campal (CIOCC), Ona 10, Madrid, Spain

    Lucas Minig MD, PhD

  3. Department of Surgical Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Robert Burger MD

Authors
  1. Nicoletta Colombo MD
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  2. Lucas Minig MD, PhD
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  3. Robert Burger MD
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Correspondence to Nicoletta Colombo MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom

    Jonathan A. Ledermann

  2. Radiation Oncology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Carien L. Creutzberg

  3. Royal Women’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    Michael A. Quinn

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Colombo, N., Minig, L., Burger, R. (2014). Maintenance Therapy for First-Line Treatment of Ovarian Cancer: Is This the Strategy for the Future?. In: Ledermann, J., Creutzberg, C., Quinn, M. (eds) Controversies in the Management of Gynecological Cancers. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-910-9_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-85729-910-9_15

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