Clinical implication of medroxyprogesterone acetate against advanced ovarian carcinoma: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The present study was performed to identify the effects of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) plus adjuvant chemotherapy on advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma (FIGO Stage III/IV).


METHODS
A total of 50 patients were enrolled in this study. A relatively low dose of MPA (200 mg/day) after surgery was administered in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy and the treatment was continued for two years. Patients' backgrounds were also analyzed.


RESULTS
Relapse-free survival (p < 0.05) and overall survival (p < 0.001) rates in FIGO Stage III/IV ovarian cancer patients with MPA combined chemotherapy were significantly longer than the control group. The effect was more prominent in the higher progesterone receptor expression group. The chemotherapy regimens (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and cisplatin vs paraplatin plus cyclophosphamide or paclitaxel) did not affect prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
MPA with platinum-based chemotherapy as an adjuvant therapy might improve the prognosis in FIGO Stage III/IV epithelial ovarian cancer cases. A randomized controlled study is still needed for further analyses.
Niwa
K
K
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu-City, Japan. kniwa@gifu-u.ac.jp
Onogi
K
K
Wu
Y
Y
Mori
H
H
Harrigan
R C
RC
Tamaya
T
T
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011379:Prognosis
D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate; D002945:Cisplatin