Increased Dose Single-agent Gemcitabine in Platinum-taxane Resistant Metastatic Ovarian Cancer

Abstract

Background In platinum-taxane resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), we aimed to determine the effectiveness. Patients and Methods Between 2004 and 2013, patients afflicted with platinum-taxane resistant EOC and who were administered a 30-minute i.v. infusion of single-agent gemcitabine at a dose of 1,250 mg/m2 on the 1st, 8th and 15th days, every 28 days, were examined retrospectively. Results Twenty-six patients with platinum-taxane resistant EOC were included in the study. The overall survival (OS) was 48 months. The median survival after becoming platinum-taxane resistant was 16 months for the study population. Median time to progression (TTP) and median survival after becoming platinum-taxane resistant for patients who received second-line treatment were 3.3 months and 16 months, respectively; for patients who received third-line treatment with gemcitabine, these were 3.7 months and 19 months, respectively. Administration of gemcitabine as second- and third-line chemotherapy in platinum-taxane resistant EOC, provides similar TTP and OS outcomes (p = 0.4, p = 0.9) with a similar response and toxicity rate. Conclusions Second- and third-line gemcitabine at a dose of 1,250 mg/m2 on days 1, 8 and 15 every 28 days as a 30-minute i.v. infusion in platinum-taxane resistant EOC is an effective treatment option with a tolerable and manageable toxicity.