[Standards, Options: Recommendations for the management of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. Medical front-line treatment (summary report, update 2008)]

Abstract

Context: The "Standards, Options and Recommendations" (SOR) project, started in 1993, is a collaboration between the Federation of French Cancer Centers (FNCLCC), specialists from French public universities, general hospitals and private clinics and since 2005 with the French National Cancer Institute. The SOR project includes the definition of clinical practice guidelines in the field of oncology, their updating via a monitoring process, their distribution towards the clinicians and the evaluation of their impact. Following the monitoring process, we identified new data conferring sufficient elements to justify an updating of the recommendations established in 2003.

Objectives: to update the recommendations of the report: "SOR-CPG for the medical front-line treatment of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer".

Methods: The guideline updating process is based on systematic literature review and critical appraisal by a multidisciplinary group of experts,with feedback from specialists in cancer care delivery. The Standards, Options and Recommendations are thus based on the best available evidence and expert agreement. Prior to publication, SOR-guidelines are reviewed by independent practitioners in cancer care delivery.

Results: This summary report presents the results of bibliographic search, the conclusions of literature, the expert judgment and the updated recommendations concerning the medical first-line treatment and consolidation treatment of epithelial ovarian cancers.