Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in ovarian cancer treatment

Abstract

Summary Ovarian cancer treatment after cytoreductive surgery is based solely on chemotherapy. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is a cytotoxic agent of verified efficacy in the treatment of ovarian cancer and is may be used in the first and the following lines of chemotherapy. In the first-line ovarian cancer treatment the combination of PLD with carboplatin assures a prolonged interval to progression and produces less toxicity when compared to carboplatin with paclitaxel schedule. Calypso trial has also revealed that in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer PLD with carboplatin shows better anticancer efficiency in comparison to combination carboplatin with paclitaxel and its toxicity profile is quite unique. Namely, PLD does not cause hematological complications, neuropathy, balding and hair loss that are characteristic of other chemotherapeutics applied in ovarian cancer treatment. Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia, a typical and commonly noted adverse event, rarely occurs when the dosage is 40mg/m2 iv. Thus, PLD ought to be the drug of choice in recurrent ovarian cancer treatment, both platinum-sensitive and platinum-insensitive one. In case of partially platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer PLD allows for a longer withoutplatinum period what in turn allows for yet another treatment with platinum, and helps achieve a prolonged interval to progression and progression-free survival time.