title: Efficacy of gemcitabine in heavily pretreated advanced ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: Single agent gemcitabine was used in recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer patients after standard treatment with debulking surgery and platin-paclitaxel based chemotherapy. Response rates and toxicity results were evaluated retrospectively. Gemcitabine was given in 1000 mg/m2 intravenous infusion over 30 minutes at 1, 8, 15 days of every 28 days. Clinical response was evaluated with clinical findings, serum CA 125 levels, and computerized tomography. Twenty-two patients--ten as second-line, 11 as third-line, and one as fourth line--received gemcitabine. Seven patients received six courses, nine cases three, five cases two and one case one course of treatment. There were four (18.2%) partial and two (9.1%) complete responses with an overall response rate of 27.3%. Stable disease was also observed in three more cases. The progression-free interval was found to be a median of three months. Grade 3-4 neutropenia was seen in two (9.1%) and grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia was seen in four (18.2%) cases. Pancytopenia was observed in one (4.5%) patient. There was no grade 3-4 non-hematological toxicity. Antitumoral activity is encouraging in heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients. A short progression-free interval is noticeable in responding cases. Toxicity is mainly hematologic and moderate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uludağ-Bursa University, Turkey.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bilgin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ozalp
authors.forename: O T
authors.initials: OT
authors.lastname: Yalçin
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zorlu
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vardar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozerkan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine