title: Cisplatin, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (PEC) in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.
abstract: We report the long-term results of a series of patients affected by advanced epithelial ovarian cancer treated with the PEC combination (cisplatin 60 mg/m2, epirubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2, all at day 1, every 21 days). Response was evaluated after three cycles, and treatment continued in responsive patients. A total of 80 patients with a median follow-up of 55 months were studied. Fifty-eight patients with stage III ovarian cancer and 22 patients with stage IV received PEC as primary treatment (41 patients), or for residual disease after surgery (37 patients), or for relapsed disease after primary surgery (2 patients). The overall response rate was 67.5% (20.0% complete response, 47.5% partial response), with 22.5% stable disease and 3.7% progressive disease. Median progression free survival was 13.0 months, and median survival was 25 months. Grade III-IV toxicity was moderate: leukopenia 20.0% of patients, thrombocytopenia 5.0%, anemia 16.2%. No cardiac toxicity was observed. In conclusion, the PEC combination, an anthracycline-containing platinum-based regimen, proved to be effective in advanced ovarian cancer, in terms of response rate and overall survival. The regimen was devoid of significant toxicity and in particular of cardiac toxicity.
authors.affiliation: Medical Oncology, University of Ancona, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Massacesi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bascioni
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cellerino
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scartozzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bracci
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alessandroni
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antognoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ciavattini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Nictolis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piga
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual / Q000188:drug therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D015251:Epirubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D002945:Cisplatin