Bevacizumab in Platinum-Sensitive Recurrent Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Risk-Stratified Analysis.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a complex disease characterized by heterogeneous clinical, pathological, and molecular features. Diagnosed frequently at advanced stages, it presents significant challenges in treatment due to the risks of resistance and recurrence. While bevacizumab, by inhibiting angiogenesis, offers a valuable therapeutic option for platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (PSROC), its impact on overall survival (OS) remains incompletely understood. This retrospective study aims to compare treatment responses in high- and low-risk groups of patients with PSROC and to evaluate the effects of bevacizumab on survival within these risk strata. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included patients diagnosed with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage III and IV EOC who received chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus bevacizumab for platinum-sensitive recurrence. Patients were classified according to risk groups, and their clinicopathological characteristics were compared. Survival analyses and adverse events regarding risk groups and bevacizumab use were examined. In this study, the effect of bevacizumab on survival in patients with PSROC was evaluated for the first time according to risk stratification, and the relationship between treatment response and survival was investigated according to recurrence localization. Results: Of the 174 patients included in this study, 102 (58.6%) were classified as low risk and 72 (41.4%) were classified as high risk. Significant differences in survival were observed between the risk groups. In the low-risk group, progression-free survival and overall survival were markedly longer compared to the high-risk group. Median PFS was 13.7 months in the low-risk group and 10.8 months in the high-risk group (p = 0.007). Median OS was 36.5 and 23.5 months, respectively (p = 0.003). In low-risk patients, the addition of bevacizumab to chemotherapy significantly increased median PFS (13.5 months vs. 9.7 months, p = 0.029); however, this advantage did not translate into a significant overall survival benefit (39.4 months vs. 33.3 months, p = 0.669). Conversely, in the high-risk group, bevacizumab use provided significant benefits in both PFS and OS. Median PFS was 13.9 months in the bevacizumab group and 8.8 months in the control group (p < 0.001). Median OS was calculated as 36.5 and 23.2 months, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our study is among the first to comprehensively compare the effectiveness of bevacizumab treatment in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer based on clinical risk groups and recurrence patterns using real-world data. The current literature lacks a comprehensive analysis that simultaneously evaluates these two critical parameters. In this respect, our study aims to contribute to developing more personalized treatment strategies for specific patient subgroups.