The initial response to treatment for ovarian cancer is generally quite good, with approximately 70% to 80% of women having a complete clinical response that can be evidenced by a return of the CA-125 level to within a normal range, a negative CT scan, and a negative physical exam. However, if a surgical exploration were performed at this time, nearly half of these women would still have microscopic evidence of disease. This means that a cancer recurrence is expected at some point for women who have advanced cancer at diagnosis irrespective of their good initial response to treatment.

In an ongoing effort to improve disease response and provide longer-lasting disease-free intervals, there are clinical trials for first-line treatment of ovarian cancer that include combinations of a variety of drugs in different treatment regimens. Although there is no proven scientific benefit of extending treatment beyond 6 to 8 courses of chemotherapy, some physicians are currently working to answer the question of whether there is some benefit to be gained. Some treatments under consideration include chemotherapy with several new drugs, intraperitoneal therapy, hormonal therapy, biologic therapy, and immunotherapy.

To date, there is no indication that additional courses of therapy offer more protection from recurrent disease. However, it is important that women with ovarian cancer consider participating in clinical trials that are designed to answer this question.