Strahlentherapie des Ovarialkarzinoms

The cells in epithelial ovarian cancer (OC) are as radiosensitive as the cells of other pelvic epithelial tumours. But the target volume for treating OC is the whole abdomen, and its organs limit radiotherapy (RT) by a low radiotolerance. Although cure rates after operation and chemotherapy remain unsatisfactory, RT still has no importance in the primary treatment of OC, either as whole abdominal irradiation or as intraperitoneal therapy by means of phosphor-32. In controlled studies, the tolerable RT did not optimise the results of postoperative chemotherapy, and the use of higher doses caused late complications. RT is very successful in palliative situations, yet it is not often used. In the meantime, technical progress has led to new RT application techniques, even for large areas, which spare organs of low tolerance from radiation, conform the RT to the organs of interest, and consider the movement of patient and organs (known as intensity-modulated radiation therapy, or IMRT). RT could possibly regain an indication as a successful consolidation treatment.