U.S. National Institutes of Health
Last Updated: 04/06/07

NCI Issues Clinical Announcement for Preferred Method of Treatment for Advanced Ovarian Cancer

In 2006, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) released a clinical announcement concerning recommended treatment for advanced ovarian cancer.

Based on the results of eight phase III clinical trials, the NCI is encouraging doctors to follow surgery with a combination of two drug-delivery methods: intravenous (by vein) and intraperitoneal (directly into the abdomen). The combined approach, though more toxic, extends overall survival for women with advanced ovarian cancer by about a year compared to intravenous delivery alone.

Epithelial ovarian carcinoma is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the developed world. To date, no effective screening regimen for ovarian cancer has been identified. More than half of women with ovarian cancer present with advanced-stage disease (stage III or IV) at the time of diagnosis.

For more information, please see http://ctep.cancer.gov/highlights/ovarian.html.