Treating relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer with luteinizing hormone-releasing agonist (goserelin) after failure of chemotherapy.
BACKGROUND
The treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma after failure of first and second-line chemotherapy is still debated. Chemical agents used for third and fourth-line therapy usually yield poor results with severe toxic side effects.


OBJECTIVE
To summarize our experience with goserelin in the treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.


METHODS
From September 1996 to June 1999 we administered goserelin, 3.6 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks, to 15 patients with advanced and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (median age 59.0, median performance status 3.0).


RESULTS
Seven of 15 eligible patients relapsed after platinum-based chemotherapy (3 of them also received paclitaxel and another 2 received tamoxifen). Four patients relapsed after carboplatin and paclitaxel, one of whom was treated with topotecan thereafter. Two patients relapsed after single-agent paclitaxel. Two patients with advanced disease and poor performance status without previous treatment received only goserelin. There was one complete response (6.7%) and 1 partial response (6.7%) lasting 8 and 14 months respectively (overall response rate 13.4%). In addition, the disease stabilized in three patients (20%) for a median of 7.5 months. In 10 patients the disease progressed. There was no significant toxicity. Median survival of all patients was 5.8 months.


CONCLUSIONS
Goserelin was helpful in one-third of our patients with advanced and refractory ovarian cancer. It is an easy and non-toxic option for treating very ill or previously heavily treated patients.
Oncology Unit, Sieff Government Hospital, Safed, Israel. zivsylvia@matat.health.gov.il
Jamal
J
Zidan
Shifra
S
Zohar
Ioram
I
Mijiritzky
Stefan
S
Kral
Boris
B
Bilenca
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D017273:Goserelin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017211:Treatment Failure
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D017273:Goserelin