The use of Fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin in women with heavily pretreated advanced ovarian carcinoma

• Published in: American journal of clinical oncology Vol. 36; no. 5; p. 472
• Main Authors: Peled, Yoav, Levavi, Hanoch, Krissi, Haim, Weill, Yehudah, Sabah, Gad, Eitan, Ram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2013
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - drug therapy; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - mortality; Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous - pathology; Aged; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols - therapeutic use; Carcinoma, Papillary - drug therapy; Carcinoma, Papillary - mortality; Carcinoma, Papillary - pathology; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous - drug therapy; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous - mortality; Cystadenocarcinoma, Serous - pathology; Endometrial Neoplasms - drug therapy; Endometrial Neoplasms - mortality; Endometrial Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Fluorouracil - administration & dosage; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Leucovorin - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - drug therapy; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - mortality; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - pathology; Neoplasm Staging; Ovarian Neoplasms - drug therapy; Ovarian Neoplasms - mortality; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Prognosis; Retrospective Studies; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 1537-453X
• DOI: 10.1097/COC.0b013e3182549399

Women suffering from recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian carcinoma go through several lines of chemotherapy, but eventually fail all conventional chemotherapy options. After failing multiple other regimens, we offer patients fluorouracil (5-FU) in a weekly regimen with leucovorin. For those women who failed to react to multiple lines of treatment, 5-FU has been shown to be a reasonable option with reported response rates of 10% to 33%. We report our experience with 5-FU+leucovorin in this patient population. This is a retrospective chart review of women treated for recurrent ovarian carcinoma between January 2003 and December 2009. Women with recurrent ovarian carcinoma who had been treated with at least 3 previous chemotherapy regimens and had received 5-FU were eligible for the study. 5-FU and leuocovorin are given at 600 mg/m weekly for 6 weeks of an 8-week cycle. Patient charts were reviewed for demographics and disease history relevant to the administration of 5-FU. Response was assessed clinically and by CA125 levels. Fifty-three patients matching inclusion criteria received 5-FU during the study period. Twenty-five percent of patients achieved a partial response and 17% stable disease for an overall response rate of 42%. A median of 4 weekly doses was administered (range, 1 to 26). The median survival of the whole cohort was 10 weeks after the last dose of 5-FU was administered. In this population of heavily pretreated patients, a significant response to 5-FU can be achieved. Unfortunately, the response is short lived and mostly partial.