[Patient compliance and the quality of life are well maintained in weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin therapy for advanced gynecologic cancers in Japanese women].
OBJECTIVE
To assess patient compliance and efficacy of a combination chemotherapy consisting of weekly administration of paclitaxel and carboplatin for gynecologic malignancy in Japanese women.


METHODS
Fourteen ovarian and three uterine cancer patients received 80 mg/m2 of paclitaxel (paclitaxel) and AUC 1.5 to 2.0 of carboplatin weekly. The toxicity was evaluated and patients' QOL was tested.


RESULTS
Neutropenia higher than grade 3 were observed in 29.4%. Four patients received G-CSF support. Grade 1 neurotoxicity was seen in 76.5% of patients. Evaluation of QOL by EORTC-QLQC30 showed significantly better tolerance of a weekly than monthly regimen. Three out of four patients with lung metastasis showed complete disappearance of the lesions. One patient with stage IIIb cervical cancer underwent postchemotherapy-hysterectomy and a complete pathological response was confirmed. The overall response rate was 64.7% including patients previously treated with platinum based multidrug regimens.


CONCLUSIONS
A weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin regimen was well tolerated by Japanese women. The regimen was active in over 60% of cases and it also appeared active in multidrug resistant cases.
Kurihara
M
M
Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nihon University School of Medicine.
Sakamoto
H
H
Ohta
Y
Y
Takami
T
T
Takami
M
M
Nakayama
Y
Y
Murata
H
H
Ohtani
K
K
Masaoka
N
N
Yamamoto
T
T
Satoh
K
K
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011788:Quality of Life
D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel