Tolerance of weekly metronomic paclitaxel and carboplatin as neoadjuvant chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer patients who are unlikely to tolerate 3 weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin

• Published in: South Asian Journal of Cancer Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 063 - 066
• Main Authors: Dessai, S. B., Chakraborty, S., Babu, T. V.S., Nayanar, S., Bhattacharjee, A., Jones, J., Balasubramanian, S., Patil, Vijay M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: A-12, 2nd Floor, Sector 2, Noida-201301 UP, India Thieme Medical and Scientific Publishers Pvt. Ltd 01.04.2016; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow Publications; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd
• Subjects: Adjuvant chemotherapy; Carboplatin; Care and treatment; Dosage and administration; Intolerable; Methods; metronomic; METRONOMIC THERAPY IN OVARIAN CANCER : Original Article; METRONOMIC THERAPY IN OVARIAN CANCER: Original; neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Ovarian cancer; Paclitaxel; Patient outcomes; poor nutritional status; poor performance status; neoadjuvant chemotherapy; poor nutritional status; metronomic; Intolerable; poor performance status
• ISSN: 2278-330X; 2278-4306
• DOI: 10.4103/2278-330X.181629

Abstract Objective: There are little data regarding safety and effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients who are considered unfit for receiving 3 weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin. The aim of this study was to examine the toxicity and response rates of weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin as NACT in such cohort of patients. Methods: Study population included advanced ovarian cancer patients who were unlikely to tolerate 3 weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin and hence received weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m 2 ) and carboplatin AUC-2 as NACT. The data regarding the baseline characteristics, chemotherapy tolerance, completion rates, toxicity (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.02), and radiological response rates are presented. SPSS version 16 was used for analysis. Descriptive statistics is presented. Results: Eleven patients received this schedule. Nine patients completed nine cycles of NACT. Except one, all patients completed NACT with an average relative dose intensity of >0.8. There was no chemotherapy-related mortality. Grade 3-4 life-threatening complications were seen in two patients. The post NACT response rate was 100%. Conclusions: Weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy is safe and efficacious in patients who are unsuitable for 3 weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy schedules.