To evaluate the activity of gemcitabine and docetaxel in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.
Methods: Patients with platinum-resistant disease and prior treatment with paclitaxel received treatment with docetaxel on day 1 and gemcitabine on days 1 and 8, repeated every three weeks.
Results: Twenty patients, with a platinum-free interval of three months, were enrolled. Overall response rate was 25%. Treatment was associated with significant myelosuppression.
Conclusions: In chemotherapy-resistant patients, this regimen exhibited encouraging activity. Excessive myelosuppression led to early closure. This was prevented by administering docetaxel on day 8 (instead of day 1) and prophylactic use of G-CSF.