Pilot study evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of irinotecan plus oral etoposide for platinum- and taxane-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with intravenous irinotecan and oral etoposide in women with platinum- and taxane-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.


METHODS
Between October 2002 and September 2005, we studied 27 women with platinum- and taxane-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer. Irinotecan was administered in an intravenous dose of 70 mg/m(2) as a 90-min infusion on days 1 and 15 of a 28-day cycle, and etoposide was administered in an oral dose of 50 mg/day on days 1 to 21. For heavily pretreated patients, the initial dose of irinotecan was lowered to 60 mg/m(2). Treatment cycles were repeated until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.


RESULTS
All 27 patients were eligible and assessable. There were 11 partial responses and 1 complete response for an overall response rate of 44.4%. The median durations of overall response and of stable disease were 11 months and 8 months, respectively. The major toxicity was neutropenia (grade 3, 22.2%; grade 4, 37.1%). Diarrhea was infrequent and mild, and gastrointestinal toxicity was moderate and manageable. Acute myeloid leukemia (M5) developed as a secondary malignancy in 1 patient.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our pilot study suggest that a combination of irinotecan and oral etoposide is effective and tolerable in women with platinum- and taxane-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.
Nishio
Shin
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahimachi, Kurume, Fukuoka Pretecture, 830-0011, Japan.
Sugiyama
Toru
T
Shouji
Tadahiro
T
Yoshizaki
Akira
A
Kitagawa
Ryo
R
Ushijima
Kimio
K
Kamura
Toshiharu
T
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D002166:Camptothecin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000077146:Irinotecan; D008875:Middle Aged; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D043823:Taxoids / Q000494:pharmacology
D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane; D005047:Etoposide; D000077146:Irinotecan; D002166:Camptothecin