Long-term disease-free survival effected by gemcitabine in a heavily pretreated patient with recurrent ovarian carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Gemcitabine has been shown to have modest activity and low and well-tolerated toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma.


METHODS
A 46-year-old patient with recurrent ovarian carcinoma who failed with two previous lines of chemotherapy has for the last 40 months received third-line chemotherapy with gemcitabine. This has resulted in an extraordinary long-term disease-free survival of 38 months. Toxicity has been low and well tolerated.


CONCLUSIONS
Gemcitabine seems to be an attractive agent for salvage chemotherapy in ovarian carcinoma patients who failed with prior lines of chemotherapy.
Piura
Benjamin
B
Unit of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Cancer Research Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 151, Beer-Sheva, 84101, Israel. piura@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine