Ninety-six-hour infusional paclitaxel as salvage therapy of ovarian cancer patients previously failing treatment with 3-hour or 24-hour paclitaxel infusion regimens.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that prolonged infusion of paclitaxel (96 hours) might overcome resistance to shorter infusion schedules (3 or 24 hours) in ovarian cancer.


METHODS
A total of 30 patients with advanced ovarian cancer (24 patients), primary carcinoma of the peritoneum (four patients), or fallopian tube cancer (two patients) who previously had received paclitaxel administered on either a 3-hour or 24-hour schedule were treated with the agent delivered as a 96-hour infusion (30 to 35 mg/m2/d x 4 days) on an every 3-week program.


RESULTS
Although the regimen generally was well tolerated, no objective responses were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with ovarian cancer who have shown resistance to shorter paclitaxel infusion schedules, ninety-six hour infusional paclitaxel is an inactive treatment strategy. This makes it less likely that protracted infusion of paclitaxel will improve outcome when used as part of primary therapy of ovarian cancer. An ongoing randomized study will answer that question.
Markman
M
M
Department of Hematology/Medical Oncology, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, OH 44195, USA. markman@cesmtp.ccf.org
Rose
P G
PG
Jones
E
E
Horowitz
I R
IR
Kennedy
A
A
Webster
K
K
Belinson
J
J
Fusco
N
N
Fluellen
L
L
Kulp
B
B
Peterson
G
G
McGuire
W P
WP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D017211:Treatment Failure
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D017239:Paclitaxel