Paclitaxel and carboplatin, alone or with irradiation, in advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: a phase II study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of carboplatin plus paclitaxel in primarily advanced or recurrent endometrial cancers.


METHODS
Four distinct patient groups received carboplatin (area under the curve, 5 to 7) plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m(2) for 3 hours at 4-week intervals: group 1 (n = 21), patients with primarily advanced, nonpapillary serous cancers; group 2 (n = 20), the same as group 1 but with papillary serous cancers; group 3 (n = 18), recurrent, nonpapillary serous cancers; and group 4 (n = 4), recurrent, papillary serous cancers. Involved-field irradiation was used in groups 1 and 2 for those with radioencompassable disease.


RESULTS
Sixty-three patients were treated. Response rates to chemotherapy in the assessable patients in the four groups were 78% (95% confidence interval [CI], 51% to 100%); 60% (95% CI, 35% to 85%), 56% (95% CI, 34% to 78%), and 50%, respectively. Nineteen patients (90%) in group 1 also were irradiated, and the median failure-free survival time for all 21 patients was 23 months, with a 62% 3-year overall survival rate. Eleven patients (55%) in group 2 were irradiated, and the median failure-free survival time for all 18 patients was 18 months, with a 39% 3-year overall survival rate. The median failure-free interval in the patients in group 3 was 6 months, with a 15-month median overall survival time. Toxicity was manageable, reversible, and predominantly hematologic. Two patients developed neutropenic fever, and three patients, including these two, were hospitalized for complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Carboplatin-paclitaxel is an efficacious, low-toxicity regimen for managing primarily advanced or recurrent endometrial cancers.
Hoskins
P J
PJ
Gynecologic Tumor Group and Cancer Control Research, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. phoskins@bccancer.bc.ca
Swenerton
K D
KD
Pike
J A
JA
Wong
F
F
Lim
P
P
Acquino-Parsons
C
C
Lee
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016019:Survival Analysis
D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel