Curie Brief
Turn on cookies to sign in
Signing in saves your progress to your Curie account. We can only do that with cookies on — turn them on to continue.
News
Chemo-first approach doesn't hurt long-term survival in ovarian cancer. A large study published in JAMA Network Open found that neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) — giving chemo before surgery — does not worsen 10-year survival compared to going straight to surgery in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Programs that ramped up NACT use after a landmark 2010 trial saw survival gains comparable to those that didn't, offering reassurance to clinicians about the long-term safety of this approach.
Chemo before surgery? Long-term survival data says go for it.
A new study in JAMA Network Open offers a decade's worth of reassurance: using neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) — chemotherapy given before surgery — in advanced ovarian cancer does not compromise 10-year survival compared to primary debulking surgery. Researchers analyzed data from over 34,000 patients in the National Cancer Database diagnosed between 2004 and 2015, comparing outcomes at cancer programs that significantly increased NACT use after a pivotal 2010 trial versus those that didn't.
Programs that ramped up NACT use saw survival improvements similar to those that kept NACT use low, suggesting the treatment strategy itself isn't the deciding factor in long-term outcomes. The findings align with existing randomized controlled trial evidence showing NACT improves surgical outcomes without hurting overall survival.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: For clinicians managing advanced ovarian cancer, this study provides long-term evidence that NACT is a safe, effective alternative to upfront surgery — particularly valuable for patients who may not be ideal surgical candidates at diagnosis.
