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Feasibility study comparing docetaxel-cisplatin versus docetaxel-carboplatin as first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.

Minagawa Y, Kigawa J, Kanamori Y, Itamochi H, Terakawa N, Okada M, Kitada F

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital, 730 Ezu, Tottori 680-0901, Japan. minagawa-y@pref.tottori.jp

OBJECTIVE: To determine the feasibility of docetaxel-cisplatin combination therapy compared with docetaxel-carboplatin combination therapy as first-line chemotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer. METHODS: Fifty patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage Ic-IV ovarian cancer who underwent primary surgery were randomly assigned to receive treatment with docetaxel-cisplatin (n = 23) or docetaxel-carboplatin (n = 27). Docetaxel 70 mg/m2 and cisplatin 60 mg/m2 or carboplatin to an area under the curve of 5 were administered consecutively on Day 1 of a 3-week cycle, for 3 cycles in patients with stage Ic-II cancer and for over 5 cycles in patients with stage III-IV cancer. Patients were evaluated for treatment-related toxicity in each cycle using the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria version 2.0. RESULTS: Five patients (2 in the docetaxel-cisplatin arm and 3 in the docetaxel-carboplatin arm) discontinued the treatment at the end of the second course of chemotherapy because of apparent disease progression; however, no patients came off the protocol therapy because of treatment-related toxicity. Overall, 103 cycles of docetaxel-cisplatin treatment and 130 cycles of docetaxel-carboplatin treatment were delivered. The major toxicity was neutropenia in both regimens. The total incidence of grades 3 and 4 neutropenia was 83% (19/23) in the docetaxel-cisplatin arm and 96% (26/27) in the docetaxel-carboplatin arm. The incidence of grade 4 neutropenia was significantly lower in the docetaxel-cisplatin arm [39% (9/23) versus 74% (20/27)]. CONCLUSION: Docetaxel-cisplatin combination therapy may be feasible as first-line chemotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer.

Published 25 May 2006 in Gynecol Oncol, 101(3): 495-8.
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