Salvage treatment with docetaxel for recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the clinical usefulness and toxicity of salvage treatment with docetaxel (70 mg/m2) infused at 3-week intervals in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.


METHODS
Retrospectively, we reviewed the clinical records of 24 patients diagnosed with recurrent ovarian cancer who had received the salvage treatment.


RESULTS
A total of 128 courses (median, 5.5 courses; range, 2-8 courses) were administered to the 24 patients. The mean number of prior chemotherapy courses in the patients was 16.4 (range, 4-35 courses); they had already been treated heavily. The tumor response was evaluable at the end of the treatment in 20 patients, with the overall response rate being 15.0%. Using the criterion of serum carbohydrate antigen (CA)125 level, the response rate was 13.0%. By the time of the final docetaxel treatment, all 24 patients had relapsed and 19 had died of the disease. The median progression-free interval was 4.6 months (range, 1.3-7.8 months), and the median overall survival time was 13.7 months (range, 2.1-27.0 months). While hematological toxicity was not severe, 20.8% of patients experienced grade 3 asthenia/fatigue, and 5 patients refused further treatments with docetaxel because of this toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Salvage treatment using docetaxel (70 mg/m2) was somewhat effective for recurrent ovarian cancer, although severe asthenia/fatigue was frequently observed. Docetaxel provides sufficient palliation of disease-related symptoms and some improvement in the length of life in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, when asthenia/fatigue is mild.
Niwa
Yoshimitsu
Y
Department of Gynecology, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8681, Japan.
Nakanishi
Toru
T
Kuzuya
Kazuo
K
Nawa
Akihiro
A
Mizutani
Shigehiko
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001247:Asthenia / Q000139:chemically induced; D000077143:Docetaxel; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D043823:Taxoids / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel