ABSTRACT
CHEMOTHERAPY IN THE POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD There is a lack of consensus regarding the optimal time interval between surgery and the initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer. Surgical removal of tumor may stimulate growth of the remaining tumor cells. In a mouse model, cyclophosphamide was most effective against metastatic growth when given preoperatively or immediately after tumor removal (151). A delay in the initiation of systemic therapy has been hypothesized to increase the probability of drug resistance (152).
