title: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in heavily pretreated epithelial ovarian cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While most patients with ovarian cancer respond to first-line treatment, 50-75% of these patients will eventually relapse. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is an active agent indicated for the treatment of patients with disease that is refractory to both paclitaxel- and platinum-based regimens, but skin toxicity remains the dose-limiting toxicity of the drug. The primary objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the activity and safety of this agent in patients with heavily pretreated ovarian cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with platinum-refractory/ resistant, paclitaxel-pretreated epithelial ovarian carcinoma were treated with PLD 50 mg/m2 in 4-week courses until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. All patients had progressive disease (PD) before starting PLD. Primary endpoints were response rate, progression free survival (PFS) and toxicity and secondary endpoints duration of response (DOS) and overall survival (OS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventeen heavily pretreated patients (median number of previous chemotherapy regimens 3, range 1-5) with taxane- and platinum-refractory disease were analysed. No complete response (CR) was achieved, while 3 (17%) partial responses (PR) and 2 (11%) cases with stable disease (SD) were observed. The median PFS was 15 weeks (range 10-21) and median OS 32 weeks (range 16-47). Palmar plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE) occurred in 4 (23%) patients and was of grade 4 in 1 (6%) patient. Stomatitis occurred in 3 (17%) patients and was grade 3 in 1 (6%) patient. Grade 3-4 neutropenia occurred in only 2 (12%) patients. No febrile neutropenia was encountered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin is an active and tolerable agent in heavily pretreated epithelial ovarian cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ege University School of Medicine, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorumlu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kucukzeybek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kemal-Gul
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cosan-Terek
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: U A
authors.initials: UA
authors.lastname: Sanli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Akman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozsaran
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dikmen
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uslu
mesh_terms: D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018284:Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000556:secondary; D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds / Q000009:adverse effects; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009944:Organoplatinum Compounds; C506643:liposomal doxorubicin; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D004317:Doxorubicin