The objectives of this population-based, retrospective study, was to find predictive factors for surgical outcome and long-term survival in 447 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer in FIGO-stages III-IV treated during 1975-1993. The median overall survival rate of this series was 18 months, the 5-year cancer-specific survival rate was 18%, and the 5-year overall survival rate, 16%. In a logistic regression analysis, type of surgeon was the strongest (P=0.006) predictive factor for surgical outcome after the age of the patient. The optimal debulking rate was 36% for gynecologic oncologists, 29% for general gynecologists, 24% for combined gynecologist and obstetrician with the third level of specialization, and 4% for general surgeons. Optimal debulking (no visible tumor or residual tumor <2 cm) was achieved in 26% of the cases. Predictive factors of the outcome of cytoreduction were FIGO-stage (P=0.007), histological subtype (P=0.016), and tumor grade (P=0.046) in univariate analyses. In a Cox multivariate analysis the most important prognostic factor for overall survival was the amount of residual cancer (P=0.000001) before age, grade and stage. Therefore, to achieve optimal surgical outcome and optimal overall survival rate the primary surgery of advanced ovarian cancer should be performed by gynecologic oncologists or by gynecologists specially trained in gynecologic cancer surgery.

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