Association Between Hormonal Maintenance Therapy and Progression-Free Survival in Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Study

IntroductionThis retrospective study aimed to investigate the association between hormonal maintenance therapy and progression-free survival (PFS) in advanced (stage 3 or 4) epithelial ovarian cancer patients who achieved complete clinical remission with first-line chemotherapy.MethodsThe study included 64 advanced HGSOC patients who received Tamoxifen, Letrozole or sequential Tamoxifen followed by Letrozole as maintenance therapy versus no maintenance treatment. The primary outcome measure was progression-free survival (PFS) at 12 and 24 months. The association between patients' characteristics and PFS was also analyzed.ResultsTamoxifen and Letrozole were the most commonly used maintenance treatments. The mean PFS was 20.56 +/- 11.48 months. The study found that Letrozole played a significant role in prolonging PFS compared to Tamoxifen, sequential Tamoxifen followed by Letrozole or no maintenance group. The frequency of PFS at 12 and 24 months was also reported, with Letrozole showing a better effect in the long term "P = 0.006". The majority of patients did not have significant toxicities whilst on Letrozole or Tamoxifen.ConclusionHormonal therapy can be an effective maintenance treatment option for advanced ovarian cancer, and Letrozole may be a preferred option for prolonging PFS in advanced HGSOC patients.