All patients with suspicion of advanced ovarian carcinoma (FIGO stage IIIC) will undergo to a diagnostic laparoscopy in order to obtain a laparoscopic score (PIV) based on seven parameters: omental cake, peritoneal and diaphragmatic extensive carcinosis, mesenteric retraction, bowel and stomach infiltration, spleen and/or liver superficial metastasis, as previously published (Fagotti et al, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2008) Patients with PIV ≥ 8 and ≤ 12 randomized in this group will be submitted to an attempt of primary debulking surgery in order to obtain RT < 1 cm, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy.

All patients with suspicion of advanced ovarian carcinoma (FIGO stage IIIC) will undergo to a diagnostic laparoscopy in order to obtain a laparoscopic score (PIV) based on seven parameters: omental cake, peritoneal and diaphragmatic extensive carcinosis, mesenteric retraction, bowel and stomach infiltration, spleen and/or liver superficial metastasis, as previously published (Fagotti et al, American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2008) Patients with PIV ≥ 8 and ≤ 12 randomized in this group will be submitted only to diagnostic laparoscopy followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy and subsequent Interval Debulking Surgery, followed by further cycles of chemotherapy.

Patients with suspected advanced ovarian cancer (FIGO stage IIIC) will undergo only to diagnostic laparoscopy. Omental cake, diaphragmatic or peritoneal extensive carcinomatosis, tumor diffusion to the small and large curvature of the stomach, large and/or small bowel mesentery disease, spleen and/or liver metastases will be investigated in order to obtain a laparoscopic score. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy interval debulking surgery will be performed: total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, radical omentectomy, appendectomy, pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy, eventual bowel resection, eventual bladder resection, eventual splenectomy, eventual parietal and diaphragmatic peritonectomy, eventual gastric resection, eventual hepatic resection, eventual pancreas resection, eventual cholecystectomy.

Early surgical complications:

• Blood transfusion
• Re-laparotomy
• suture dehiscence of laparotomy.
• Venous thrombosis
• Haemorrhage
• Death in the post-operative period
• Digestive fistula
• Urinary fistula
• Lymphocyst
• Fever
• Infection
• Pleural effusion
• Pulmonary embolism
• Pneumothorax
• Pneumonia

Late surgical complication:

• Death for every reason.
• Suture dehiscence of laparotomy with opening of the abdominal muscles
• Fever due to lymphocystis infection

Time from randomization until recurrence of tumor or death from any cause.

Time from randomization until death from any cause.

Quality of life will be assess using the EORTC quality of life questionnaire core-36 (QLQC-30) and the ovarian cancer-specific quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-Ov28). These will be complete at study entry, at the 4th cycle or before IDS (in arm A and arm B, respectively), at the 6th cycle, and 6 months after the last cycle of chemotherapy.