High-Dose Paclitaxel and Additional Carboplatin Prolong Survival in Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer

According to the results of a study published in The Lancet Oncology, administering high-dose paclitaxel with additional carboplatin instead of paclitaxel/carboplatin used as initial treatment in patients with advanced ovarian cancer prolongs progression-free survival.

Ovarian cancer, which is frequently seen in women after breast cancer, is treated with surgery and/or chemotherapy. A new study was conducted in Japan to identify more effective treatments for advanced ovarian cancer.

A study conducted in 85 prefectures in Japan included 631 patients with stage II–IV ovarian cancer. Some of the patients with ovarian cancer received standard paclitaxel/carboplatin treatment, while the others received high-dose treatment. In patients in the high-dose group, carboplatin was administered on day 1, and paclitaxel was administered on days 1,8 and 15, whereas in patients receiving standard treatment, the combination of carboplatin and paclitaxel was administered only on day 1. Treatment was administered as 3 cycles every 6 weeks, and patients who responded to treatment received an additional 3 cycles.

The initial data obtained in 2009 showed that high-dose treatment prolonged survival. According to the data obtained from long-term follow-up, after an average follow-up of 6 years, the median progression-free survival was 17,5 months in patients receiving standard treatment, while it was 28,2 months in patients receiving high-dose treatment. Overall, median survival was 62,2 months in patients receiving standard treatment and 100,5 months in patients receiving high-dose treatment. This is clear evidence of the substantial increase observed.

The researchers determined that high-dose paclitaxel with additional carboplatin, administered instead of standard paclitaxel/carboplatin treatment, prolonged survival. This positive result from the long-term study opens a new avenue that could challenge the standard treatment approach for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.