To evaluate the overall survival (OS) of patients with initially inoperable advanced ovarian cancer, tubal carcinoma, or primary peritoneal carcinoma of stages III or IV undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by cytoreductive surgery, according to the number of cycles performed.

This retrospective study was conducted in three main oncology centres in the east of France, reviewing the charts of all patients who underwent NAC between January 1, 1998 and October 31, 2012. We performed an OS analysis using multivariate Cox regression models adjusted for potential confounders. We also analysed progression-free survival (PFS) as well as chemotherapy- and surgery-related morbidity.

Of the 204 patients included, 75 (36.8%) underwent ≤4 NAC cycles and 129 (63.2%) ≥5 NAC cycles. Characteristic data were similar in the two groups. Five-year OS was 35.0 and 25.8%, respectively. This difference was non-significant [HR = 1.06 (0.70-1.59), p = 0.79]. We also found no differences in PFS or morbidity between the two groups.

The number of NAC cycles does not seem to play a role in the OS of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. Further evidence and prospective data are needed to assess the value of a high/low number of NAC cycles among these patients.