Cited rationale for variance in the use of primary intraperitoneal chemotherapy following optimal cytoreduction for stage III ovarian carcinoma at a high intraperitoneal chemotherapy utilization center

• IP chemotherapy was given to 79% of eligible patients in our cohort.
• Potentially modifiable factors were identified as prohibiting IP chemotherapy use.
• Postoperative status is the most cited reason for giving IV-only chemotherapy.

ObjectiveStudies have demonstrated improved ovarian cancer survival with the administration of a combination of intravenous (IV) and intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy following optimal cytoreduction. Despite this, IV/IP chemotherapy is not uniformly used. In this retrospective cohort study, we assessed the documented reasons for giving IV-only chemotherapy.MethodsAll patients who had optimal primary cytoreductive surgery for stage III ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma, met eligibility criteria for GOG-172, and received primary chemotherapy at our institution between 2006 and 2013 were identified. Patients who received at least one cycle of adjuvant IV/IP therapy were included in the IP group. Patient characteristics, treatment information, and reason cited for not administering IP therapy were collected.ResultsOf the patients evaluated, 330 met inclusion criteria. The majority (n = 261, 79%) received at least one IV/IP cycle (median, 6; range, 1–6), and 62% completed 6 cycles. The most common reason for giving IV-only therapy was postoperative status (i.e., delayed wound healing, performance status), accounting for 18 (26%) of the 69 IV-only patients (5% of the entire cohort). Other cited reasons were baseline comorbidities (15%) and IP port complications (12%). Receipt of ≥ 1 cycle of IP chemotherapy (HR 0.51; 95% CI, 0.32–0.80) and no gross residual disease (HR 0.47; 95% CI, 0.31–0.71) were associated with improved overall survival.ConclusionPotentially modifiable factors identified as leading to the use of IV-only chemotherapy were postoperative status and IP port complications, which if altered, could potentially lead to increased IP chemotherapy use.