title: Salvage chemotherapy with paclitaxel in platinum-resistant advanced ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: Encouraging results with Paclitaxel are reported in ovarian cancer patients relapsing and progressing after platinum-based chemotherapy; however, the two populations have different probabilities of a response to a second-line treatment. Here we report the results achieved in 39 patients with platinum-refractory ovarian cancer, treated with Paclitaxel 175 mg/qm2 (or 135 mg/m2 if heavily pretreated) using 3-hour intravenous infusion every 3 weeks, in an attempt to verify the activity of this drug in platinum-resistant patients. The toxicity was mild to moderate and primarily hematologic and neurologic. The objective response rate is 12.8% with no complete responses. The response duration was brief and the median survival 6 (range 1-17) months. An accurate cost-benefit balance is necessary before routinely use of Paclitaxel in platinum-refractory patients. Further research is needed to determine the optimal role of Paclitaxel in the whole therapeutic strategy for ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology 2, National Institute for Cancer Research, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruzzone
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Catsafados
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Miglietta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Amoroso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pedulla
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Giannessi
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Locatelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Antona
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foglia
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mammoliti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turno
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nicosia
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luporini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ragni
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boccardo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016879:Salvage Therapy
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D017239:Paclitaxel