Gemcitabine as second-line chemotherapy in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer: Review of four cases / 대한산부인과학회잡지

Adjuvant multiagent chemotherapy with platinum and paclitaxel after optimal cytoreductive surgery decisively improved survival rates of patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma. However, more than two- thirds of patients with advanced disease will encounter tumor progression, underlining the need for effective second-line strategies. Continued efforts to discover new active agents for the treatment of patients with ovarian carcinoma had identified gemcitabine. Four patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma, who were treated in Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital and recurred thereafter received gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 as a 30 min intravenous infusion on days 1, 8, and 15, which was repeated every 28 days. The disease progressed in two patients, while one showed stable disease and another reached complete response. One patient expired of disease two months after the completion of therapy. Grade 3 leukopenia was successfully managed using G-CSF. Regrowth of hair lost during previous chemotherapy occurred in all subjects. We report four cases of advanced recurrent ovarian carcinoma which were treated with gemcitabine.

Second-line Chemotherapy with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin for Patients with Recurrent Ovarian Carcinoma / 대한산부인과학회잡지

OBJECTIVE: This study is to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel plus carboplatin used as a salvage therapy. METHODS: Between June 2000 and November 2003, 10 patients aged 43-74 (median 55.0) with recurrent ovarian carcinoma were given combination chemotherapy including paclitaxel and carboplatin. The subjects received initial chemotherapy with paclitaxel plus cisplatin/carboplatin. On recurrence, paclitaxel was administered intravenously at a dose of 175 mg/m2 with carboplatin by AUC 5 every 3 weeks. The median treatment cycle was 10 cycles (range, 1 to 15 cycles). Recurrence of ovarian carcinoma was determined by elevation of serum CA-125, or radiologic imaging. Responses and toxicities were evaluated according to Gynecologic Oncology Group criteria and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events from NCI (National Cancer Institute). RESULTS: The overall clinical response rate was 60.0% (6/10). Better response was observed in patients who were sensitive with initial chemotherapy. Anemia was the most frequent complication. CONCLUSION: Paclitaxel and carboplatin has been shown to be a feasible agent in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.