Vol 3, No 6 (2007)
Review paper
Published online: 2008-05-08
Consolidation therapy of ovarian cancer
Onkol. Prak. Klin 2007;3(6):298-305.
Abstract
Most patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer experience objective responses to paclitaxel/platinum-
based chemotherapy, but responses are generally short-term and the clinical outcome is still unsatisfactory.
Therefore, the strategy to consolidate and to prolong the duration of response is very attractive.
Different consolidation or maintenance treatments have been attempted, such as whole abdomen radiotherapy,
intraperitoneal chromic phosphate, radioimmunotherapy, intraperitoneal chemotherapy, highdose
chemotherapy with haematopoietic support, prolonged administration of the first-line regimen, second-
line single-agent chemotherapy, and biological agents. Clinical studies have given conflicting, inconclusive,
and generally disappointing results. A recent US randomised trial appeared to show that the
prolonged administration of single-agent paclitaxel (175 mg/m2 every 3 weeks) significantly improved the
progression-free survival of complete responders to paclitaxel/platinum-based chemotherapy. Alternative
less toxic and probably more effective schedules of administration of chemotherapy (i.e. weekly
paclitaxel) might assure a better balance between quality of life and anti-tumor activity in patients previously
exposed to chemotherapy.
Keywords: ovarian cancerconsolidation therapy