Comparison of Hepatic Function and Chemotherapy-Induced Side Effects Between Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin (PLD), Topotecan (TOPO), and Gemcitabine in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer (PROC).

Background/

Objectives

Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) is a major therapeutic challenge, as it responds poorly to standard platinum-based treatment, has limited treatment options, and offers a generally unfavorable prognosis. Chemotherapeutic agents like pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), topotecan (TOPO), and gemcitabine (GEM) are used for this setting, but with varying efficacy and toxicity profiles, leading to an increasing need to understand the optimal balance between treatment effectiveness and tolerability for improving patient outcomes. This study evaluates the efficacy and side effects of PLD, TOPO, and GEM, focusing on progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and safety profiles.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study that included 856 PROC patients treated with PLD (n = 383), TOPO (n = 352), or GEM (n = 121) at the OncoHelp Oncology Center from January 2018 to December 2023. Inclusion criteria encompass diagnosis, prior platinum therapy, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status (0-2). Treatment protocols followed standard dosing, with adjustments for toxicity. Primary endpoints included PFS and OS, with safety assessed by incidence of grade 3 and 4 toxicities per CTCAE v5.0. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to compare survival, and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results

TOPO showed higher toxicity than PLD and GEM, including liver damage, hematological and non-hematological side effects, while PLD induced more skin toxicity. In terms of survival, minor differences were seen between the three chemotherapeutic agents, with a slight advantage for PLD for better disease control.

Conclusions

Given the comparable results in OS across the regimens, treatment decisions should be based on other factors such as patient tolerance and quality of life.