Weekly single-agent carboplatin in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube carcinoma.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To report the experience of a single institution in the south of Israel with weekly carboplatin in heavily pretreated patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube carcinoma.

METHODS

The hospital records of ten patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube carcinoma who had 2nd-line or later chemotherapy with weekly carboplatin between January 2003 and December 2004 were retrospectively reviewed. Weekly carboplatin, at a dose calculated with use of the Hilary Calvert's formula at AUC = 2, was given intravenously in 500 ml dextrose 5% over 30 minutes on day 1 of every seven days. Response was determined using clinical evaluation, radiological reports and CA-125 level. Toxicity was graded using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) criteria.

RESULTS

Overall, 155 courses of weekly carboplatin were given. The median number of courses per patient was 14 (range, 2-37) and median duration of treatment was 22.5 (range, 2-40) weeks. Four patients (40%) had complete response lasting for 8-20 (median, 12) weeks, two (20%) had partial response lasting for five and 14 weeks, respectively, one (10%) had stable disease lasting for 23 weeks and three (30%) had progressive disease. Toxicity was mainly hematological with only grade 1-2 hematological toxicity as follows: anemia--four patients (40%), leukopenia--three (30%), neutropenia--three (30%) and thrombocytopenia--two (20%).

CONCLUSION

Weekly carboplatin has considerable activity and low and well tolerated toxicity in heavily pretreated patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian, peritoneal and fallopian tube carcinoma.