Optimal first-line treatment in ovarian cancer

Ann Oncol. 2012 Sep:23 Suppl 10:x118-27. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mds315.

Abstract

Treatment of ovarian cancer remains challenging despite the high complete response rate seen after maximal surgical debulking surgery and platinum-combination chemotherapy. as most patients will relapse and eventually succumb to ovarian cancer, new strategies are urgently required to improve survival. a platinum-taxane combination has been the cornerstone of treatment for >15 years. Better use of these drugs is being explored through scheduling studies, and dose-dense or intraperitoneal (IP) therapies. Further improvements in treatment will most likely come from the integration of optimal chemotherapy with one or more of the hundreds of molecular-targeted agents that could be active in ovarian cancer. The greatest experience has been with anti-angiogenic agents. Two large phase III trials in first-line ovarian cancer have demonstrated a positive effect of bevacizumab when administered concurrently with chemotherapy and then as a maintenance treatment. In this review, we discuss the existing treatments for ovarian cancer and highlight areas of recent progress.

Publication types

  • Congress
  • Overall

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell / drug therapy*
  • Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / drug therapy*
  • Cisplatin / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / pathology
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / surgery
  • Prognosis

Substances

  • Cisplatin