Is it possible to define an optimal time for chemotherapy after surgery for ovarian cancer?

• Time from primary surgery to initiation of chemotherapy in ovarian cancer
• Survival time for patients with early initiation and late initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy in ovarian cancer

ObjectiveThe aims of this study are to investigate the actual time from primary surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer (OC) to initiation of chemotherapy (TI) amongst Danish women in 2005–2006, and to compare the survival for groups with early initiation (≤ median TI) and late initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy (> median TI).MethodsAll Danish women who underwent surgery for OC in the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2006 and recorded in the Danish Gynaecological Cancer Database (DGCD) were included. The five-year survival was estimated overall and by TI exposure. The Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to compute the adjusted hazard ratio (HR).ResultsThe median TI was 32 days (25–75% quartile: 24 days; 41 days). The strongest prognostic factors for death were residual tumour and the International Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology (FIGO) stage.The unadjusted HR for death in patients with TI > 32 days compared with TI ≤ 32 days was 0.85 (95% CI: 0.70; 1.04), p-value 0.12. When adjusted for residual tumour and FIGO-stage the HR was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.92; 1.39), p-value 0.26. The overall five-year survival was 42.8%, (95% CI: 38.9%; 46.5%).ConclusionsThis nationwide population-based cohort study revealed a non-significant increased risk of death for patients with TI > 32 days compared with the reference TI ≤ 32 days. The strongest prognostic factors were residual tumour after surgery and FIGO-stage. The overall five-year survival was 42.8% (95% CI: 38.9%; 46.5%).