A Du Bois

..Therefore, we performed a randomized, phase III non-inferiority trial comparing paclitaxel plus cisplatin (PT) with paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TC) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer...

..8+/-7.7 h, respectively. The maximum tolerated and recommended phase II dose for BMS-188797 was 110 mg m(-2) (1-h infusion, every 3 weeks) combined with cisplatin 75 mg m(-2)...

..Based on evidence that combination platinum-containing regimens offer superior efficacy versus single-agent regimens, we conducted this study to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of PLD in combination with carboplatin...

..A multicenter, nonrandomized, phase II study was initiated to evaluate the tolerability, toxicity, and activity of paclitaxel, carboplatin, and gemcitabine combination in previously untreated ovarian cancer...

..To evaluate pattern and quality of care for ovarian cancer in Germany and analyze adherence to treatment guidelines as well as prognostic factors for survival...

..To evaluate the relationship between hospital characteristics and quality of care and outcome in ovarian cancer in Germany...

..Selecting an institution that participates in cooperative trials might be an option for individual patients seizing the chance for better quality of care even when individual factors might hamper enrollment in a study...

..Data on the addition of gemcitabine are eagerly awaited from two phase III trials...

..It is essential for the improvement of the patients' situation to transfer these new developments already implemented into national and international standards and guidelines to clinical practice...

..therapy. In order to change the current standard, it would be necessary to base the analysis on an ITT-population, provide details about second-line therapy, rule out bias regarding second-line therapy and to develop less toxic regimens...

....

..A multicenter non-randomized phase II study was initiated to evaluate tolerability and efficacy of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in combination with carboplatin in gynecologic malignancies...

..One attempt to improve results could be the addition of non-cross-resistant drugs to platinum-paclitaxel combination regimens. Anthracyclines were among the candidates for incorporation as a third drug into first-line regimens...

..Here we evaluate whether a second-line chemotherapy can offer any benefit compared with a less toxic hormonal treatment...

..Carboplatin reinduction is a broadly adopted regimen in patients with recurrences occurring six months or later after first-line treatment. Gemcitabine is among the candidates as combination partner in second-line regimens...

..However, response duration rarely exceeds 12 months and increased efforts are needed in this area of chemotherapy...

..Some retrospective analyses have suggested that participation in clinical trials is associated with better outcome. However, it is not clear to what extent selection bias contributes to this observation...

....

..Survival of patients suffering from cerebral metastases (CM) is limited. Identification of patients with a high risk for CM is warranted to adjust follow-up care and to evaluate preventive strategies...

..No final conclusions can be drawn. There is a need for developing effective 2nd-line therapies for patients failing platinum and paclitaxel combination regimens. Among others, anthracyclines should be evaluated in this clinical setting...

....

..The purpose of our study was to evaluate re-operation in a tertiary gynecologic oncology unit after primary operation for presumably ovarian cancer FIGO I-IIIA in general gynecology departments...

..Complete tumor resection may require extended surgical procedures. This paper reports on the prognostic impact of extensive surgery and surgical morbidity in patients with advanced-stage ovarian carcinoma...

..Peritoneal carcinomatosis has been reported to be either a negative predictor for resectability or a negative prognostic factor, or both. The role of peritoneal carcinomatosis in a multicenter trial was investigated...

..However, close monitoring of neurotoxicity is necessary, particularly in patients with residual neurotoxicity due to prior platinum- and taxane-containing chemotherapy...

..High pRb expression is a significant prognosticator in optimally debulked patients and may hold potential for subgroup stratification in postoperative treatment...

..Systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy remains part of staging in EOC. Patients with EOC should be offered the opportunity to receive state-of-the-art treatment including surgery...

..The impact of the time interval between surgery and initiation of chemotherapy for clinical outcome has not been clarified yet...

....

..Further investigation of erlotinib in epithelial ovarian carcinoma may be warranted, particularly as maintenance therapy...

..Caelyx is a new treatment using long-circulating liposomes to target delivery of doxorubicin to the tumour. This article reviews the treatment of ovarian cancer and looks at the place of Caelyx as a new second-line treatment option...

..The possible clinical benefit to patients resulting from the participation in these trials has been also investigated...

..Trabectedin is an active treatment, with documented responses in patients with platinum sensitive advanced relapsed ovarian cancer, and has a manageable toxicity profile...

..However, the observation of pulmonary toxicity, potentially a feature of the weekly taxane-gemcitabine regimen, was of some concern. Alternative schedules, including 3-weekly taxanes, are currently being evaluated...

....

..The combination of epirubicin, carboplatin and capecitabine showed good activity but caused excessive toxicity. A phase-II trial using carboplatin and capecitabine is underway...

..Further studies with Carboplatin AUC 5 and DHA-paclitaxel 880 mg m(-2), given every 28 days, are warranted in chemo-naive patients...

..Larger phase III studies are required to test these combinations...

..In this study, the DLTs of XR11576 were diarrhoea and fatigue. The recommended dose for phase II studies of XR11576 is 120 mg administered orally, on days 1-5 every 21 days. Alternative regimens are currently being explored...

..No objective tumour responses were noted, but disease stabilisation was recorded in eight patients; this lasted for a total of six courses (18 weeks) in a patient with ovarian cancer...

..Risk scoring based on objective clinical parameters indicated that patients with a high score had a significantly shorter OS, and this may help in the process of patient selection for phase I trial entry...

..The critical nature of these proteins in cell cycling raises hope that targeting them may result in selective cytotoxicity and valuable anticancer activity...

..i.d.). Ongoing trials in advanced melanoma are evaluating sorafenib combination therapies...