Dose density and altered scheduling of adjuvant chemotherapy in ovarian cancer: teaching old dogs new tricks?
A recent Japanese Gynecologic Oncology Group phase III clinical trial in patients with ovarian cancer receiving the conventional paclitaxel-carboplatin combination once every 3 weeks or "dose-dense" paclitaxel once a week with carboplatin once every 3 weeks has reported a large progression free survival advantage for the dose-dense therapy. Recent advances in the molecular understanding of ovarian cancer point to molecular differences between paclitaxel and carboplatin sensitivity which link to the status of BRCA genes--so called familial and sporadic "BRCAness." It may be that the change in the way we use paclitaxel allows us to more effectively target the heterogeneity of such intrinsic sensitivity/resistance to these agents in the adjuvant therapy of ovarian cancer, leading to significant improvement in the management of the disease.
Gabra
Hani
H
Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Imperial College London Hammersmith Campus, London, United Kingdom.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel