We investigated the potential of weekly
cisplatin and daily oral
etoposide followed by oral
etoposide maintenance
therapy in patients with
platinum-refractory ovarium
cancer. One hundred and seven patients were entered on the study, 98 patients completed the induction
therapy consisting of
cisplatin at either 50 or 70 mg m(-2) weekly for six administrations plus oral
etoposide at a dose of 50 mg daily. Of these 98 patients, 38 had a
platinum treatment-free interval of more than 12 months, 32 had an interval between 4 and 12 months, and 28 had progressed during or within 4 months after last
platinum therapy. We assessed response rates and time to progression, and also response duration and survival. Analyses were done on the 98 evaluable patients. All 107 patients were considered evaluable for toxicity. Of the 38 patients with a treatment-free interval of more than 12 months, 92% responded, with 63% complete responses. The median progression-free survival in these patients was 14 months, and the median survival was 26 months. Of the 32 patients with an interval of 4-12 months, 91% responded, with 31% complete responses, a median progression-free interval of 8 and a median overall survival of 16 months. Of the 28 patients with
platinum-refractory disease, 46% as yet responded, with 29% complete responses, median progression-free interval of 5 and an overall survival of 13 months. Haematologic and non-haematologic, particularly renal toxicity and neurotoxicity, were notably mild. We conclude that this intensive regimen of weekly
cisplatin plus daily
etoposide is highly effective and well tolerated in patients with
ovarian cancer relapsing after conventional
platinum-based
combination chemotherapy, including patients who have progressed during or within 4 months after
platinum treatment.