Carboplatin in Combination with Epirubicin and Cyclophosphamide in Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer: A phase II study

Abstract

Seventy-one patients with epithelial ovarian cancer stage III (n = 56) or IV (n = 15) were treated with carboplatin 300 mg/m², epirubicin 50 mg/m² and cyclophosphamide 400 mg/m² every fourth week. Patients clinically free of tumour after six courses (n = 58) underwent a second-look laparotomy. Seventeen patients were microscopically tumour-free (24% of all) and an additional 10 (14%) had only microscopic cancer. Median time to progression was 19 months. The median survival was 33 months and the estimated 5–year survival 27%. The toxicity was mainly haematological, with leukopenia WHO grade 3–4 seen in 88% and thrombocytopenia grade 3–4 in 42% of the patients. The gastointestinal toxicity was mild and no renal toxicity was seen. This chemotherapy regimen was effective with acceptable toxicity and could be given on an out-patient basis. The possibility of increasing the efficacy and decreasing the toxicity was discussed.