title: Dose-dense and dose-intense chemotherapy for small cell ovarian cancer: 2 cases and review of literature.
abstract: Small cell carcinomas of the ovary (SCCO) are rare and aggressive malignant neoplasms carrying a poor prognosis. Although multi-modality treatment including chemotherapy leads to a high initial response rate, the majority of these patients relapse quickly and die within 2 years of diagnosis. Because these tumours are rare, there is no consensus to support any particular approach to management. We present 2 cases and review the relevant literature to make a number of recommendations. The treatment of these unusual cases should to be individually discussed in a multi-disciplinary team and multi-modality treatment including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy should be considered for patients with limited disease. Conservative, fertility-preserving surgery may be considered in younger women with early-stage disease. Induction chemotherapy with weekly dose-dense and dose-intense carboplatin and taxane is useful. Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) may be considered in patients in remission after primary treatment with chemotherapy or surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, 1053 Great Western Road, Glasgow, G12 0YN, Scotland, UK. dr_shrimali@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Raj Kumar
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Shrimali
authors.forename: Peter Denzil
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: Nick S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Reed
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel