title: Therapy of ovarian carcinoma: the relationship of dose level and treatment intensity to survival.
abstract: Following primary maximal cytoreduction, 71 previously untreated patients with advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma received at least six courses of combination chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide. The cumulative dose (CD) through three (CD3) and six (CD6) courses was calculated for each drug and for all drugs combined. The dose intensity (DI) through three (DI3) and six (DI6) courses was calculated for each drug by dividing CD3 and CD6 by the interval (in weeks) between surgery and the third and sixth course. The interval from surgery to the third or sixth course had no effect on survival. Similarly, there was no significant difference in survival between patients with high and low CD3 or CD6 for any drug or for all drugs combined. Patients with high DI6 for cisplatin, doxorubicin, and all drugs combined survived significantly longer than those with low DI6. The survival difference for patients with high and low DI6 for cyclophosphamide approached, but did not attain, statistical significance at the 0.05 level. The intensity with which combination chemotherapy is administered may have an impact upon survival in patients with ovarian carcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sommers
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Homan
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Camel
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Axelrod
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Galakatos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parham
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lippmann
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013997:Time Factors