Follow-up is generally performed every three months for the first two years after treatment.
• The neck, lungs, abdomen and pelvis are carefully examined at each visit.
• The serum CA-125 level may be measured but there is no consensus about its value.
• Abdominal and pelvic CT or MRI scans may be done, but their routine use has not been shown to be effective
in the absence of symptoms.
Second-Look Surgery If after six cycles of chemotherapy there is no evidence of progressive disease—as determined by physical examination, the serum CA-125 level and pelvic and abdominal CT scans—then second-look exploratory abdominal surgery may be performed as part of a research program. There has been no proven survival benefit of this procedure.
Prognosis The prognosis primarily depends on the stage, grade and type of carcinoma as well as on the amount of residual disease after the initial surgery.
Women who have Stage II, III or IV Grade 1 carcinoma have an excellent prognosis. Women with Grade 2 or 3 cancers have a significant risk for developing recurrent disease. It is estimated that 30 to 50 percent of women with Grade 3 cancer will develop a recurrence within five years.
