Karen Stanley, R.N., M.S.N, president of the Oncology Nursing Society, and Susan Vogt Temple, R.N., president of the Society of Gynecologic Nurse Oncologists, noted that their societies have plans in place to teach oncology nurses and women with ovarian cancer how IP chemotherapy can be given safely and reliably.

More studies are needed to determine the best IP drug regimen and the optimal number of IP treatments. Future trials also will address how to reduce toxicity associated with IP administration.


In addition to continued research to improve ovarian cancer treatment, NCI is funding studies to identify disease markers and develop improved screening techniques, enabling earlier detection and treatment of the disease. An estimated 22,220 women in the United States were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2005. It causes more deaths in the United States than any other cancer of the female reproductive system, with an estimated 16,210 women dying from the disease in 2005. The most recent statistics show that only 45 percent of women survive five years after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer; the rate increases to 94 percent when the disease is diagnosed before it has spread. However, women with ovarian cancer frequently have no symptoms or only mild symptoms until the disease is advanced. As a result, only 19 percent of all cases are detected at that early, localized stage.

For Questions and Answers about IP treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, after 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 4, 2006, please go to http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/IntraperitonealQandA.

The clinical announcement regarding treatment for advanced ovarian cancer will be available online after 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 4, 2006, at http://ctep.cancer.gov/highlights/ovarian.html.

The article in the New England Journal of Medicine can be viewed online after 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 4, 2006.

To obtain accompanying video footage, please contact the NCI Media Relations Branch at (301) 496-6641 or ncipressofficers@mail.nih.gov.

Additional information on IP chemotherapy, including administration, as well as other resources for clinicians and patients can be obtained at http://www.gog.org, http://onsopcontent.ons.org/Toolkits/Chemotherapy/ and http://www.ons.org/patientEd/Treatment/chemotherapy.shtml.

For a digest of information on IP chemotherapy, please visit http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/developments/IPchemo-digest.

For more information about ovarian cancer, please go to http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/ovarian/.

For more information about clinical trials for ovarian cancer, please go to http://www.cancer.gov/search/clinicaltrials/ and http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ovarian-cancer-updates.

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