Pre-chemotherapy hemoglobin levels and survival in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer who received a first-line taxane/platinum-based regimen: results of a multicenter retrospective Italian study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to assess whether the pre-chemotherapy hemoglobin levels have any impact on the clinical outcome of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer who received a first-line taxane/platinum-based regimen.


METHODS
The study was conducted on 315 patients who underwent initial surgery followed by taxane/platinum-based chemotherapy for FIGO stage IIc-IV epithelial ovarian cancer. All the patients had ECOG performance status 0-1 at presentation. The median follow-up of survivors was 36 months (range, 6-120 months).


RESULTS
The 25%, 50%, and 75% quantiles of hemoglobin levels before starting first-line chemotherapy were 10.2, 11.4, and 12.3 g/dl, respectively. Residual disease after initial surgery (>1 cm versus </= 1 cm, P = 0.0013) was the only independent prognostic variable for overall survival. Conversely, hemoglobin levels (<10.2 g/dl versus 10.2-11.4 g/dl versus 11.5-12.3 g/dl versus >12.3 g/dl) were inversely related to overall survival at univariate (P = 0.03) but not at multivariate analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation showed that hemoglobin levels before starting first-line taxane/platinum-based chemotherapy are not an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.
Gadducci
Angiolo
A
Department of Procreative Medicine, Division of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Pisa, Via Roma 56, Pisa, 56127, Italy. a.gadducci@obgyn.med.unipi.it
Sartori
Enrico
E
Landoni
Fabio
F
Zola
Paolo
P
Maggino
Tiziano
T
Colombo
Nicoletta
N
Fanucchi
Antonio
A
Chiudinelli
Francesca
F
Lapresa
Mariateresa
M
Maria Ferrero
Anna
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000077143:Docetaxel; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D043823:Taxoids / Q000008:administration & dosage
D006454:Hemoglobins; D043823:Taxoids; D000077143:Docetaxel; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide