title: Three-hour paclitaxel infusion and carboplatin is an effective outpatient treatment for stage III epithelial ovarian cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to determine the response rate and toxicity of a 3-h paclitaxel infusion and carboplatin delivered as outpatient therapy for the treatment of stage III/IV epithelial ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with stage III/IV epithelial ovarian cancer underwent cytoreductive surgery. The first 10 patients received adjuvant paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 via 3-h infusion on day 1 and carboplatin 5 times area under the curve on day 2 (group 1) every 28 days. The paclitaxel dose was escalated to 175 mg/m2 for the next 20 patients (group 2). chi 2 and Kaplan-Meier procedures were used for statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine of 51 cycles in group 1 (17.6%) and 19 of 116 cycles (16.4%) in group 2 were associated with grade 4 neutropenia (P = 0.96), but only 2 of the 161 total cycles (0.01%) had fever and neutropenia. One patient in group 1 experienced grade 3 thrombocytopenia. Two patients in the entire group (7.4%) required colony-stimulating factors. One patient in group 2 (3.7%) had grade 3 neurotoxicity. With a median follow-up of 29 months for the entire group, 5 of 8 patients (62.5%) in group 1 and 14 of 19 patients (73.7%) in group 2 are alive. Median progression-free survival for group 1 and 2 is 13 and 14 months, respectively. Median overall survival has not been reached.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paclitaxel via 3-h infusion and carboplatin is an effective outpatient treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer that can be safely administered on schedule in the majority of patients.
authors.affiliation: Gynecologic Oncology Associates, Hoag Memorial Hospital Cancer Center, Newport Beach, California 92663, USA.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rettenmaier
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dillman
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Birk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Culkin
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Micha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel