Weekly paclitaxel in the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.
Weekly paclitaxel is a highly active and well tolerated regimen that is increasingly being adopted for the treatment of relapsed ovarian cancer. This regimen is usually administered at 80-90 mg/m(2)/week, and the use of a 1 h infusion helps minimize myelosuppression. When compared with the 3-weekly schedule, weekly paclitaxel is better tolerated, with a reduced frequency of grade 3-4 toxic effects. Single-agent weekly paclitaxel for relapsed ovarian cancer yields response rates in the range of 20-62%; however, response duration can be short. Responses to weekly paclitaxel have been observed in patients whose tumors are resistant to 3-weekly paclitaxel. The level of activity of weekly paclitaxel for relapsed disease has led to its detailed evaluation in the first-line setting, and interest has been enhanced by the results of a Japanese Gynecological Oncology Group study that demonstrated a survival advantage for weekly paclitaxel compared with 3-weekly paclitaxel in combination with carboplatin as initial treatment. The enhanced efficacy of weekly paclitaxel may be due to greater drug exposure, a direct antiangiogenic effect, or both. Current research topics include the combination of weekly paclitaxel with molecular-targeted agents and the use of molecular profiling to better select patients for treatment.
Baird
Richard D
RD
Section of Medicine, The Royal Marsden Hospital and The Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5PT, UK.
Tan
David S P
DS
Kaye
Stan B
SB
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018579:Patient Selection
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel