Effectiveness of low-dose oral etoposide treatment in patients with recurrent and platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity profile of oral etoposide (50 mg/day, days 1-14, every 3 weeks) in recurrent platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). 52 recurrent platinum-resistant EOC patients followed up in four centres between April 2000 and December 2013 were analysed retrospectively. There was response in a total of 21 patients [partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD)], 12 of them used etoposide in second and third, and 9 of them used it in fourth- to fifth-lines of treatment. The overall response rate was 19.2% and clinical benefit rate was 40.4% [PR (19.2%), SD (21.2%)]. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.95 months (95%CI, 0.2-19.7 months) and 3.2 months (95%CI 2.6-3.8 months), respectively. Grade III-IV haematologic and non-haematologic adverse events were observed in 7 (13.4%) patients. We consider that oral etoposide (50 mg/day, days 1-14, every 3 weeks) is an effective treatment with a manageable adverse effect profile in recurrent platinum-resistant EOC patients. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: Oral etoposide is an effective option for recurrent EOC patients at a dose of 50-100 mg/m2/day (1-21 days, every 28 days) regimen. However, it has a high toxicity rate. What the results of this study add: Oral etoposide at a dose of 50 mg/kg (1-14 days, every 21 days) is an effective treatment with a manageable toxicity profile in platinum- resistant ovarian cancer patients when it is used as ≤4th-line palliative setting. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: We need trials evaluating the effect of low-dose oral etoposide combination with bevacizumab or other chemotherapy agents (irinotecan and gemcitabine) in platinum-resistant EOC patients.
a Department of Medical Oncology , Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Yakup
Y
Bozkaya
a Department of Medical Oncology , Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Mutlu
M
Doğan
a Department of Medical Oncology , Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Gökmen
G
Umut Erdem
b Department of Gynecologic Oncology , Etlik Zübeyde Hanım Women's Health Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Gökhan
G
Tulunay
c Department of Gynecologic Oncology , Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Hikmet
H
Uncu
d Department of Medical Oncology , Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education And Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Zafer
Z
Arık
e Department of Medical Oncology , Dr. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Umut
U
Demirci
a Department of Medical Oncology , Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Ozan
O
Yazıcı
a Department of Medical Oncology , Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital , Ankara , Turkey.
Nurullah
N
Zengin
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D000077216:Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009375:Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D005047:Etoposide
Oral etoposide; epithelial ovarian cancer; platinum-resistant ovarian cancer; recurrent ovarian cancer