Phase III trial of carboplatin plus paclitaxel with or without gemcitabine in first-line treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer.

PURPOSE: One attempt to improve long-term survival in patients with advanced ovarian cancer was thought to be the addition of more non-cross-resistant drugs to platinum-paclitaxel combination regimens. Gemcitabine was among the candidates for a third drug. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a prospective, randomized, phase III, intergroup trial to compare carboplatin plus paclitaxel (TC; area under the curve [AUC] 5 and 175 mg/m(2), respectively) with the same combination and additional gemcitabine 800 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8 (TCG) in previously untreated patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. TC was administered intravenously (IV) on day 1 every 21 days for a planned minimum of six courses. Gemcitabine was administered by IV on days 1 and 8 of each cycle in the TCG arm. RESULTS: Between 2002 and 2004, 1,742 patients were randomly assigned; 882 and 860 patients received TC and TCG, respectively. Grades 3 to 4 hematologic toxicity and fatigue occurred more frequently in the TCG arm. Accordingly, quality-of-life analysis during chemotherapy showed a disadvantage in the TCG arm. Although objective response was slightly higher in the TCG arm, this did not translate into improved progression-free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS). Median PFS was 17.8 months for the TCG arm and 19.3 months for the TC arm (hazard ratio [HR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.32; P = .0044). Median OS was 49.5 for the TCG arm and 51.5 months for the TC arm (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.20; P = .5106). CONCLUSION: The addition of gemcitabine to carboplatin plus paclitaxel increased treatment burden, reduced PFS time, and did not improve OS in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Therefore, we recommend no additional clinical use of TCG in this population.

Topotecan versus treosulfan, an alkylating agent, in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and relapse within 12 months following 1st-line platinum/paclitaxel chemotherapy. A prospectively randomized phase III trial by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie Ovarian Cancer Study Group (AGO-OVAR).

OBJECTIVE: Effective therapies with a low rate of side effects are warranted in the 2nd-line setting in ovarian cancer. Both topotecan and the alkylating agent treosulfan have demonstrated efficacy in this patient group and are broadly used in Germany. Therefore, we started a prospectively randomized phase III trial comparing these two drugs in early recurrent ovarian cancer. METHODS: Patients having relapsed after platinum-taxane therapy were randomized to receive either topotecan or treosulfan. Stratification depended on platinum sensitivity (stratum 1: up to 6 months after primary chemotherapy, stratum 2: 6 to 12 months). RESULTS: A total of 274 patients were treated either with topotecan (136 patients) or treosulfan (138). Hematologic toxicity was significantly more frequent with topotecan but without severe clinical consequences. Non hematologic toxicity was similar in both study arms. Overall survival was significantly longer with topotecan (p=0.0023), with a median of 55.0 weeks versus 41.0 weeks as well as progression-free survival (p=0.0020) with a median of 23.1 weeks versus 12.7 weeks. Similar results were found for stratum 2 subgroup. Overall response rate was 27.5% for topotecan and 16.0% for treosulfan (p=0.0307). In stratum 1 progression-free survival was 18.1 weeks for topotecan and 9.4 weeks for treosulfan (p=0.0476), but there was no difference in overall survival in this prognostic poor subgroup. CONCLUSIONS: This randomized phase III trial could detect superiority of topotecan versus treosulfan in patients with recurrent disease after platinum-paclitaxel combination therapy. Our experience indicates that optimization of systemic treatment could improve outcome even in this poor prognostic subgroup of patients with relapsed ovarian cancer.

Gefitinib in combination with tamoxifen in patients with ovarian cancer refractory or resistant to platinum-taxane based therapy--a phase II trial of the AGO Ovarian Cancer Study Group (AGO-OVAR 2.6).

BACKGROUND: Tamoxifen and gefitinib (IRESSA) combination therapy was studied in patients with ovarian cancer refractory or resistant to platinum- and taxane-based therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this phase II study, 56 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma or cancer of the fallopian tube or peritoneum received oral tamoxifen 40 mg/day and gefitinib 500 mg/day until progression or unacceptable toxicity. RESULTS: Seventeen patients (mean age: 59.6 years) had previously received first-line platinum/taxane treatment only, while 39 had received 2-8 (median 2) prior chemotherapy regimens. Gefitinib dose reduction to 250 mg/day was performed in 10 patients (14.9%), predominantly due to diarrhea (6 patients [10.7%]). Trial medication was discontinued in 6 patients (10.7%) due to adverse events (AEs). The most frequent drug-related AEs were diarrhea and acne-like skin rash. There were no tumor responses, but 16 patients had stable disease. Median time-to-progression was 58 days (95% CI, 55-71 days) and median survival was 253 days (95% CI, 137-355 days). CONCLUSION: Gefitinib plus tamoxifen did not appear to be efficacious in the treatment of patients with refractory/resistant ovarian cancer. The addition of tamoxifen did not worsen the known side effects of gefitinib, or induce additional side effects.

Surgery in recurrent ovarian cancer: the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie (AGO) DESKTOP OVAR trial.

BACKGROUND: The role of cytoreductive surgery in relapsed ovarian cancer is not clearly defined. Therefore, patient selection remains arbitrary and depends on the center's preference rather than on established selection criteria. The Descriptive Evaluation of preoperative Selection KriTeria for OPerability in recurrent OVARian cancer (DESKTOP OVAR) trial was undertaken to form a hypothesis for a panel of criteria for selecting patients who might benefit from surgery in relapsed ovarian cancer. METHODS: The DESKTOP trial was an exploratory study based on data from a retrospective analysis of hospital records. Twenty-five member institutions of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynaekologische Onkologie Ovarian Committee (AGO OC) and AGO-OVAR boards collected data on their patients with cytoreductive surgery for relapsed invasive epithelial ovarian cancer performed in 2000-2003. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty-seven patients were included. Complete resection was associated with significantly longer survival compared with surgery leaving any postoperative residuals [median 45.2 vs. 19.7 months; hazard ratio (HR) 3.71; 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.27-6.05; P < .0001]. Variables associated with complete resection were performance status (PS) [Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) 0 vs. > 0; P < .001], International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage at initial diagnosis (FIGO I/II vs. III/IV, P = .036), residual tumor after primary surgery (none vs. present, P <.001), and absence of ascites > 500 ml (P < .001). A combination of PS, early FIGO stage initially or no residual tumor after first surgery, and absence of ascites could predict complete resection in 79% of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Only complete resection was associated with prolonged survival in recurrent ovarian cancer. The identified criteria panel will be verified in a prospective trial (AGO-DESKTOP II) evaluating whether it will render a useful tool for selecting the right patients for cytoreductive surgery in recurrent ovarian cancer.