title: Gemcitabine in ovarian cancer: an overview of safety and efficacy.
abstract: The outlook for patients with advanced ovarian cancer is still poor. Less than 30% survive for 5 years. The current standard chemotherapy is cisplatin-based combination treatment which gives response rates up to 70%. However, for patients who are resistant to cisplatin, new drugs are required. Response rates are generally low. Even with paclitaxel, remissions have been documented only in 16-30% of patients and with considerable toxicity. A number of studies using gemcitabine as a single agent in cisplatin-resistant patients have been completed or initiated and response rates of around 20% have been recorded. As gemcitabine is well tolerated, studies using gemcitabine combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin in ovarian cancer are ongoing or planned.
authors.affiliation: Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Klinik für Gynäkologie und Onkologie, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Minckwitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine