Suggested research priorities

Provided that this was thought to be of interest to the wider clinical community, RCT evidence comparing platinum-containing regimens with non-platinum-containing regimens should be sought. Furthermore, RCT evidence of the efficacy of etoposide and best supportive care in patients with resistant/refractory disease may be desirable.

Given the palliative nature of second-line or later treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer, and the limited data available on QoL, particularly for patients with PRR disease, research to determine reliable estimates of QoL in recurrent advanced ovarian cancer might be warranted.

Future trials in recurrent ovarian cancer should endeavour to carry out analysis on patient-level data which has been adjusted for a consistent array of variables; of particular importance is the adjustment of clinical effectiveness data for PFI (measured as a continuous rather than categorical variable).

Limited information on best supportive care was identified. Some people may choose to not receive further treatment, and research into what constitutes best supportive care, and impact of best supportive care on QoL, might help to inform the decision-making process from the perspective of both the clinician and the person with advanced ovarian cancer. In addition, further research into the cost of best supportive care may also be warranted.