Peritoneal papillary serous carcinoma: Study of 15 cases and comparison with stage III-IV ovarian papillary serous carcinoma

Background and Objectives: Peritoneal papillary serous carcinoma (PPSC) is histologically and clinically similar to stage III-IV ovarian papillary serous carcinoma (OPSC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical findings, treatment, and outcome of PPSC patients compared with stage III-IV OPSC patients. Methods: Data from the files of 15 PPSC patients and 52 stage III-IV OPSC patients who were managed at the Soroka Medical Center between January 1991 and December 1997 were evaluated. Results: With regard to patients' characteristics, presenting signs and symptoms, type and extent of surgery, tumor response to first-line chemotherapy, recurrence- free interval, recurrence site, tumor response to second-line chemotherapy, and serum CA-125 levels, no significant differences were observed between the PPSC patients and the stage III-IV OPSC controls. The prevailing presenting symptoms were abdominal mass and ascites. The mainstay of treatment was debulking surgery followed by adjuvant platinum-containing chemotherapy. The objective response rate to first-line chemotherapy was 80%. The actuarial 5- year survival rate for the PPSC patients and stage III-IV OPSC patients was 52.0% and 20.5%, respectively (0.05 < P < 0.1). Conclusions: The clinical and surgical characteristics of patients with PPSC are similar to those of patients with stage III-IV OPSC. When treatment strategies for stage III-IV OPSC are applied to PPSC, the survival of PPSC patients may be similar or even better than that of stage III-IV OPSC patients.