title: Feasibility study on biweekly paclitaxel treatment as maintenance chemotherapy in advanced müllerian carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of biweekly paclitaxel treatment as maintenance chemotherapy for patients with advanced müllerian carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty patients with stage III or IV ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers who underwent primary optimal surgery and standard 6 cycles of carboplatin/taxane-based chemotherapy and exhibited a complete clinical response were entered in this study. Paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) was administered biweekly for 12 cycles. Patients were evaluated monthly for treatment-related toxicity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients, including 3 disease progressions and 1 bone marrow suppression, came off the protocol therapy. Twenty-six (86.7%) patients received complete treatment. Although the major toxicity was neutropenia, most of those patients (27/30, 90.0%) did not experience grade 3 or 4 neutropenia. Twenty-four (80.0%) patients showed persistent grade 1 neuropathy and the remaining 6 (20.0%) did not as a result of prior therapy. However, none experienced neuropathy progression during or after the protocol therapy. Most (17/22, 77.3%) of the completely treated patients experienced a regression of symptoms during and after therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biweekly paclitaxel therapy is well tolerated by patients with advanced müllerian carcinoma and is therefore acceptable as a candidate for maintenance chemotherapy in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital, Tottori, Japan. minagawa-y@pref.tottori.jp
authors.forename: Yukihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minagawa
authors.forename: Muneaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itamochi
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Seiya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okada
authors.forename: Fuminori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kitada
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kigawa
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy; D018262:Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000188:drug therapy; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018269:Carcinoma, Endometrioid / Q000188:drug therapy; D005185:Fallopian Tube Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D060046:Maintenance Chemotherapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D017239:Paclitaxel