A feasibility study of sequential doublet chemotherapy comprising carboplatin-doxorubicin and carboplatin-paclitaxel for advanced endometrial adenocarcinoma and carcinosarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Platinum compounds, taxanes and anthracyclines provide the major effective drug classes in the treatment of advanced and recurrent endometrial cancer and carcinosarcoma.


METHODS
A total of 52 women with advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer and carcinosarcoma were treated with four cycles of carboplatin area under the curve (AUC) 5 and doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2)) for four cycles before or after four cycles of carboplatin AUC5 and paclitaxel (175 mg/m(2)) with each cycle administered at 21-day intervals.


RESULTS
Thirty-seven patients (71.2%) completed all planned treatment. Excluding six patients who did not complete treatment for non-drug-related causes, 80.4% completed all planned treatment. Three hundred and seventy-one treatment cycles were administered and 303 (81.7%) occurred on time. Common Toxicity Criteria grade 3/4 haematological toxic effects, particularly neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, were the predominant cause of treatment delays and dose reductions. A low incidence of grade 3 neurotoxicity and no cardiac toxicity were observed. The overall response rates for patients with evaluable disease were 82.1% and 66.7% for endometrial and carcinosarcoma, respectively. At a median follow-up of 21 months, the median progression-free survival for the endometrial adenocarcinoma and carcinosarcoma cohorts were 15.3 and 12.0 months, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This regimen is generally well tolerated with encouraging efficacy.
Ang
J E
JE
Royal Marsden Hospital, London and Sutton, Surrey, UK.
Shah
R N
RN
Everard
M
M
Keyzor
C
C
Coombes
I
I
Jenkins
A
A
Thomas
K
K
A'Hern
R
R
Jones
R L
RL
Blake
P
P
Gabra
H
H
Hall
G
G
Gore
M E
ME
Kaye
S B
SB
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D002296:Carcinosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects
D004317:Doxorubicin; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel