Preoperative serum CA125 levels do not predict suboptimal cytoreductive surgery in epithelial ovarian cancer.

The objective is to assess the ability of preoperative serum CA125 levels to identify patients at high risk of suboptimal cytoreductive surgery for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). One hundred and thirty-two women diagnosed with EOC between 1998 and 2004, who had serum CA125 levels measured preoperatively and received primary cytoreductive surgery, were retrospectively evaluated. The value of CA125 and patient and disease characteristics to predict suboptimal cytoreduction were determined, and a prognostic scoring system, based on statistically significant variables, was created. Optimal cytoreduction was achieved in 42.7% of the women with FIGO stage III/IV EOC. The optimal cutoff point of preoperative CA125 to predict surgical outcome in this group was 330 U/mL (sensitivity 80.0%; specificity 41.5%). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) for preoperative CA125 predicting suboptimal surgery in FIGO stage III/IV was 0.576 (P = 0.617). Preoperative radiologic amount of ascites and weight loss (ie, >or=10% in the last 6 months before diagnosis) were independent prognostic factors for suboptimal cytoreduction, showing an AUC of 0.76 (P < 0.001) in women with FIGO stage III/IV. A prognostic scoring system showed that the chance of suboptimal surgery was 84.6% in FIGO stage III/IV when both these factors are present preoperatively. The role of CA125 levels predicting suboptimal cytoreduction seems questionable. Instead, women with considerable weight loss and a gross amount of ascites have a higher risk of suboptimal cytoreduction. These patients may be candidates for neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Doxorubicin versus doxorubicin and cisplatin in endometrial carcinoma: definitive results of a randomised study (55872) by the EORTC Gynaecological Cancer Group.

BACKGROUND: Combination chemotherapy yields better response rates which do not always lead to a survival advantage. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the reported differences in the efficacy and toxicity of monotherapy with doxorubicin (DOX) versus combination therapy with cisplatin (CDDP) in endometrial adenocarcinoma lead to significant advantage in favour of the combination. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eligible patients had histologically-proven advanced and/or recurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma and were chemo-naïve. Treatment consisted of either DOX 60 mg/m(2) alone or CDDP 50 mg/m2 added to DOX 60 mg/m2, every 4 weeks. RESULTS: A total of 177 patients were entered and median follow-up is 7.1 years. The combination DOX-CDDP was more toxic than DOX alone. Haematological toxicity consisted mainly of white blood cell toxicity grade 3 and 4 (55% versus 30%). Non-haematological toxicity consisted mainly of grade 3 and 4 alopecia (72% versus 65%) and nausea/vomiting (36 % versus 12%). The combination DOX-CDDP provided a significantly higher response rate than single agent DOX (P <0.001). Thirty-nine patients (43%) responded on DOX-CDDP [13 complete responses (CRs) and 26 partial responses (PRs)], versus 15 patients (17%) on DOX alone (8 CR and 7 PR). The median overall survival (OS) was 9 months in the DOX-CDDP arm versus 7 months in the DOX alone arm (Wilcoxon P = 0.0654). Regression analysis showed that WHO performance status was statistically significant as a prognostic factor for survival, and stratifying for this factor, treatment effect reaches significance (hazard ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval 1.05-2.03, P = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to single agent DOX, the combination of DOX-CDDP results in higher but acceptable toxicity. The response rate produced is significantly higher, and a modest survival benefit is achieved with this combination regimen, especially in patients with a good performance status.