title: Phase III trial of high-dose sequential chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell support compared with standard dose chemotherapy for first-line treatment of advanced ovarian cancer: intergroup trial of the AGO-Ovar/AIO and EBMT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although ovarian cancer is one of the most chemotherapy-sensitive solid tumors, cure after radical surgery and chemotherapy is uncommon. A randomized trial comparing high-dose sequential chemotherapy with peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) support with platinum-based combination chemotherapy was conducted to investigate whether dose-intensification improves outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred forty-nine patients with untreated ovarian cancer were randomly assigned after debulking surgery to receive standard combination chemotherapy or sequential high-dose (HD) treatment with two cycles of cyclophosphamide and paclitaxel followed by three cycles of HD carboplatin and paclitaxel with PBSC support. HD melphalan was added to the final cycle. The median age was 50 years (range, 20 to 65 years) and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage was IIb/IIc in 4%, III in 78%, and IV in 17%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-six percent of patients received all five cycles in the HD arm and the main toxicities were neuro-/ototoxicity, gastrointestinal toxicity, and infection and one death from hemorrhagic shock. After a median follow-up of 38 months, the progression-free survival was 20.5 months in the standard arm and 29.6 months in the HD arm (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95% CI, 0.56 to 1.26; P, .40). Median overall survival (OS) was 62.8 months in the standard arm and 54.4 months in the HD arm (HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 0.71 to 1.94; P, .54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first randomized trial comparing sequential HD versus standard dose chemotherapy in first-line treatment of patients with advanced ovarian cancer. We observed no statistically significant difference in progression-free survival or OS and conclude that HD chemotherapy does not appear to be superior to conventional dose chemotherapy.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Städtisches Klinikum, Gotenstrasse 6-8, D-65929 Frankfurt, Germany. vmoebus@skfh.de
authors: Volker
authors: V
authors: Möbus
authors: Hannes
authors: H
authors: Wandt
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Frickhofen
authors: Carmelo
authors: C
authors: Bengala
authors: Kim
authors: K
authors: Champion
authors: Rainer
authors: R
authors: Kimmig
authors: Helmut
authors: H
authors: Ostermann
authors: Axel
authors: A
authors: Hinke
authors: Jonathan A
authors: JA
authors: Ledermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008558:Melphalan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D017239:Paclitaxel; D008558:Melphalan