Carboplatin plus paclitaxel once a week versus every 3 weeks in patients with advanced ovarian cancer (MITO-7): a randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase 3 trial

Traitement médical de première ligne du cancer épithélial de l'ovaire de haut grade: First-line medical treatment of high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer

In early stages, standard treatment is adjuvant chemotherapy, consisting of platinum-based combination for 6 cycles, especially in serous and endometrioid high grade carcinomas. In advanced stages, indication of neoadjuvant chemotherapy must be discussed on a case-by-case basis in multidisciplinary meetings (MDM). Bevacizumab can also be considered in the neoadjuvant setting in some circumstances, always after discussion in MDM. Carboplatin plus paclitaxel every 21 days, with or without bevacizumab remains the standard of care for first-line chemotherapy. Inhibitors of poly-(ADP-riboses) polymerases (PARPi) have been approved and are reimbursed as maintenance monotherapy in tumors carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation after complete or partial response to chemotherapy. Two recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of PARPi on progression free survival, one for niraparib single-agent in patients with high-grade ovarian carcinoma regardless of BRCA status, the other one for the combination of bevacizumab and olaparib in patients with high grade carcinoma, with positive test for homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency (regardless of BRCA status). These two new modalities of maintenance therapy are now available in compassionate use programs or post compassionate use programs. Depending on pending decisions upon reimbursement, these indications might be somewhat modified.

Microtubule-Interfering Drugs: Current and Future Roles in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Taxanes and epothilones are chemotherapeutic agents that ultimately lead to cell death through inhibition of normal microtubular function. This review summarizes the literature demonstrating their current use and potential promise as therapeutic agents in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), as well as putative mechanisms of resistance. Historically, taxanes have become the standard of care in the front-line and recurrent treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer. In the past few years, epothilones (i.e., ixabepilone) have become of interest as they may retain activity in taxane-treated patients since they harbor several features that may overcome mechanisms of taxane resistance. Clinical data now support the use of ixabepilone in the treatment of platinum-resistant or refractory ovarian cancer. Clinical data strongly support the use of microtubule-interfering drugs alone or in combination in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer. Ongoing clinical trials will shed further light into the potential of making these drugs part of current standard practice.

Response to and toxicity of weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with stage IIIC-IV ovarian cancer and poor general condition

It has remained elusive whether standard chemotherapy regimens are safe for patients with ovarian cancer and poor general condition. The purpose of the present study was to assess the response to and toxicity of weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin (W-PC) in patients with ovarian cancer and poor general condition. The subjects were patients with ovarian cancer who received W-PC at Jichi Medical University Hospital (Shimotsuke, Japan) between January 2008 and December 2016. Patients who were ≥80 years old and/or had a performance status ≥3 and/or severe complications/underlying diseases were selected. Patients received paclitaxel (60 mg/m²) and carboplatin (area under the curve 2 mg/ml/min) on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Their medical records were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 31 patients were included in the study. Grade 3/4 neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia developed in 18 (58%), 5 (16%) and 1 (3%) patients, respectively. Furthermore, three (10%) patients had a complete response (CR), 12 (39%) had a partial response (PR), 5 (16%) had stable disease and 11 (35%) had progressive disease. The overall response rate was 48% (15/31) and the disease control rate was 65% (20/31). The 5-year progression-free survival was 15% and the 5-year overall survival was 15%. A total of 9 patients survived for >40 months, one of whom survived without recurrence for 122 months. Performance status <3, a tumor response of CR or PR and >5 chemotherapy cycles were indicators of favorable prognosis. Only >5 chemotherapy cycles (vs. ≤5; P=0.002) was an independent good prognostic factor according to multivariate analysis. In conclusion, W-PC was tolerable and slightly effective in patients with ovarian cancer and poor general condition. W-PC may be one option for patients who are unable to receive standard chemotherapy regimens.

Randomized Trial of Cytoreductive Surgery for Relapsed Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND

Treatment for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer has been mainly based on systemic therapy. The role of secondary cytoreductive surgery is unclear.

METHODS

We randomly assigned patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who had a first relapse after a platinum-free interval (an interval during which no platinum-based chemotherapy was used) of 6 months or more to undergo secondary cytoreductive surgery and then receive platinum-based chemotherapy or to receive platinum-based chemotherapy alone. Patients were eligible if they presented with a positive Arbeitsgemeinschaft Gynäkologische Onkologie (AGO) score, defined as an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance-status score of 0 (on a 5-point scale, with higher scores indicating greater disability), ascites of less than 500 ml, and complete resection at initial surgery. A positive AGO score is used to identify patients in whom a complete resection might be achieved. The primary end point was overall survival. We also assessed quality of life and prognostic factors for survival.

RESULTS

A total of 407 patients underwent randomization: 206 were assigned to cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy, and 201 to chemotherapy alone. A complete resection was achieved in 75.5% of the patients in the surgery group who underwent the procedure. The median overall survival was 53.7 months in the surgery group and 46.0 months in the no-surgery group (hazard ratio for death, 0.75; 95% confidence interval, 0.59 to 0.96; P = 0.02). Patients with a complete resection had the most favorable outcome, with a median overall survival of 61.9 months. A benefit from surgery was seen in all analyses in subgroups according to prognostic factors. Quality-of-life measures through 1 year of follow-up did not differ between the two groups, and we observed no perioperative mortality within 30 days after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

In women with recurrent ovarian cancer, cytoreductive surgery followed by chemotherapy resulted in longer overall survival than chemotherapy alone. (Funded by the AGO Study Group and others; DESKTOP III ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01166737.).

Insights into ovarian cancer care: report from the ANZGOG Ovarian Cancer Webinar Series 2020

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is among the top ten causes of cancer deaths worldwide, and is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies in high income countries, with incidence and death rates expected to rise particularly in Asian countries where ovarian cancer is among the 5 most common cancers. Despite the plethora of randomised clinical trials investigating various systemic treatment options in EOC over the last few decades, both progression-free and overall survival have remained at approximately 16 and 40 months respectively. To date the greatest impact on treatment has been made by the use of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors in women with advanced EOC and a BRCA1/2 mutation. Inhibition of PARP, the key enzyme in base excision repair, is based on synthetic lethality whereby alternative DNA repair pathways in tumor cells that are deficient in homologous recombination is blocked, rendering them unviable and leading to cell death. The Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group (ANZGOG) is the national gynecological cancer clinical trials organization for Australia and New Zealand. ANZGOG's purpose is to improve outcomes and quality of life for women with gynecological cancer through cooperative clinical trials and undertaking multidisciplinary research into the causes, prevention and treatments of gynecological cancer. This review summarizes current ovarian cancer research and treatment approaches presented by Australian and New Zealand experts in the field at the 2020 ANZGOG webinar series entitled "Ovarian Cancer systems of Care".

Cancer of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum: 2021 update

In 2014, FIGO's Committee for Gynecologic Oncology revised the staging of ovarian cancer, incorporating ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancer into the same system. Most of these malignancies are high-grade serous carcinomas (HGSC). Stage IC is now divided into three categories: IC1 (surgical spill); IC2 (capsule ruptured before surgery or tumor on ovarian or fallopian tube surface); and IC3 (malignant cells in the ascites or peritoneal washings). The updated staging includes a revision of Stage IIIC based on spread to the retroperitoneal lymph nodes alone without intraperitoneal dissemination. This category is now subdivided into IIIA1(i) (metastasis ≤10 mm in greatest dimension), and IIIA1(ii) (metastasis >10 mm in greatest dimension). Stage IIIA2 is now "microscopic extrapelvic peritoneal involvement with or without positive retroperitoneal lymph node" metastasis. This review summarizes the genetics, surgical management, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies for epithelial cancers, and the treatment of ovarian germ cell and stromal malignancies.

Pembrolizumab with low-dose carboplatin for recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer: survival and immune correlates

Background

Anti-programmed death 1 (PD1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) therapies have shown modest activity as monotherapy in recurrent ovarian cancer. Platinum chemotherapies induce T-cell proliferation and enhance tumor recognition. We assessed activity and safety of pembrolizumab with carboplatin in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Patients and methods

This phase I/II, single-arm clinical trial studied concurrent carboplatin and pembrolizumab in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer. Primary platinum refractory patients were excluded. Patients were treated after progression on subsequent non-platinum systemic therapy after becoming platinum resistant or refractory. Pembrolizumab 200 mg was given on day 1 and carboplatin area under the curve 2 on days 8 and 15 of a 3-week cycle until progression. Imaging was assessed by blinded independent review. PD-L1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Flow cytometry on peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed for CD3, CD4, CD8, PD1, CTLA4 and Ki67.

Results

The most common treatment-related adverse events were lymphopenia (18%) and anemia (9%) with most being grade 1 or 2 (93%). Of 29 patients treated, 23 patients were evaluable for best objective response: 10.3% (95% CI 2.2 to 27.4) had partial response (PR), 51.7% (95% CI 32.5 to 70.6) had stable disease (SD). 56.5% of patients had decreases in target lesions from baseline. All PD-L1-positive patients achieved PR (3/7, 42.8%) or SD (4/7, 57.2%). Median progression-free survival was 4.63 months (95% CI 4.3 to 4.96). Median OS was 11.3 months (95% CI 6.094 to 16.506). Peripheral CD8+PD1+Ki67+ T cells expanded after 3 (p=0.0015) and 5 (p=0.0023) cycles. CTLA4+PD1+CD8+ T cells decreased through the course of treatment up to the 12th cycle (p=0.004). When stratified by ratio of peripheral CD8+PD1+Ki67+ T cells to tumor burden at baseline, patients with a ratio ≥0.0375 who had a significantly longer median OS of 18.37 months compared with those with a ratio <0.0375 who had a median OS of 8.72 months (p=0.0099). No survival advantage was seen with stratification by tumor burden alone (p=0.24) or by CD8+PD1+Ki67+ T cells alone (p=0.53).

Conclusions

Pembrolizumab with carboplatin was well-tolerated and active in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. A ratio of peripheral T-cell exhaustion to radiographic tumor burden may identify patients more likely to benefit from this chemoimmunotherapy.

Trial registration number

NCT03029598.

Role of adjuvant and post-surgical treatment in gynaecological cancer

Adjuvant and post-operative therapy aimed at reducing the risk of disease recurrence and improving potential for cure can be broadly categorised into systemic and locoregional treatment. For epithelial ovarian cancer, cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy is the mainstay management. Maintenance therapy with PARPi is a state-of-the-art option for women with advanced disease following complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, particularly those with BRCA mutations. Adjuvant treatment for endometrial cancer depends mostly on FIGO staging and histopathological risk factors. For cervical cancer, adjuvant chemoradiation is indicated after surgery in women with close or positive resection margins and positive nodes. Generally, recommendations for adjuvant therapy should be individualised and reviewed at the multidisciplinary tumour board meeting, and the decision for adjuvant therapy should be balanced with treatment toxicity. The overview of the role of adjuvant and post-surgical treatment in gynaecological cancers will be discussed in this chapter.

Chemotherapy resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer: Mechanisms and emerging treatments

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains a fatal malignancy because most patients experience recurrent disease, which is resistant to chemotherapy. The outcomes for patients with platinum-resistant OC are poor, response rates to further chemotherapy are low and median survival is lower than 12 months. The complexity of platinum-resistant OC, which comprises a heterogeneous spectrum of diseases, is indeed far from being completely understood. Therefore, comprehending tumors' biological behaviour to identify reliable biomarkers, which may predict responses to therapies, is a demanding challenge to improve OC management. In the age of precision medicine, efforts to overcome platinum resistance in OC represent a dynamic and vast field in which innovative drugs and clinical trials rapidly develop. This review will present the exceptional biochemical environment implicated in OC and highlights mechanisms of chemoresistance. Furthermore, innovative molecules and new therapeutic opportunities are presented, along with currently available therapies and ongoing clinical trials.

A CLEARER VIEW ON OVARIAN CLEAR CELL CARCINOMA

Introduction: Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a less common subtype accounting for approximately 5% of all epithelial ovarian cancers (EOCs). Clinical experience and research findings confirm the remarkable differences in clinical behavior, molecular alterations and pathogenesis of OCCC. The diagnosis of OCCC is typically set at a younger age, and earlier stage and in a background of endometriosis.Results: Molecularly, OCCCs rarely harbor BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations and have fewer copy number variants (CNVs). The most common molecular changes occur in the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex genes, the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/Ras signaling pathway.Five-year disease-specific survival of patients with OCCC is worse compared to high grade serous carcinomas (HGSOC). The current treatment options for OCCC are based on studies that included patients with predominantly HGSOC and only a minor proportion of cancers with clear cell histology. In order to improve outcomes for patients with OCCC, research should be specific for this subtype.Discussion: As the available information about the specific characteristics of OCCC is increasing, especially at a molecular level, it should be possible to continuously improve the specific diagnostics and treatment. Since OCCC is so rare, it is essential to collect new evidence at an international level. To avoid extrapolation from EOC trials with possible erroneous conclusions, patients should always be encouraged to participate in specific histological trials and basket trials, while paying extra attention to OCCC-like subtypes.

Dose-dense Paclitaxel and Carboplatin as Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage IIB/IIIA Non-small Cell Lung Cancer - A Phase II trial

AIMS

The approach to potentially resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial. There is a benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT), but the ideal regimen is unknown. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of dose-dense NACT in potentially resectable NSCLC in this phase II trial.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Paclitaxel at 80 mg/m² on days 1, 8 and 15 with AUC-6 carboplatin on day 1, 3 weekly for four cycles was evaluated as NACT. Patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status 0-2, stage IIB and IIIA (with only non-bulky N2 nodes) were included. The primary end point was the objective response rate. Secondary end points included toxicity, progression-free survival, recurrence-free survival, complete resection rate and overall survival. The relative dose intensity (RDI) was calculated to define tolerability (CTRI/2016/05/006916).

RESULTS

In total, 37 patients were enrolled (median age 55 years). Most (78.8%) were smokers. Most patients had adenocarcinoma (57.6%) and stage IIIA disease (81.0%) according to the seventh American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system. Seventy-eight per cent of patients completed four cycles. The objective response rate was 75.6% with a complete response in 10.8%. The mean RDI of paclitaxel was 88.61%, with 68.0% of patients able to maintain an RDI ≥85.0%. In total, 187 toxicity events were recorded (120 grade 1, 64 grade 2 and three grade 3 events). Common toxicities were peripheral neuropathy (20.3%), myalgia (19.8%), nausea (15.7%) and neutropenia (10.2%). There were no treatment-related deaths. Seventeen patients underwent surgery (lobectomy 82.4%). After a median follow-up of 47 months (95% confidence interval 27-50.7 months), the median progression-free survival was 9.6 months (7.4-17.4) and overall survival was 29.2 months (16.0-37.2).

CONCLUSION

Dose-dense paclitaxel-carboplatin is feasible, safe and efficacious and should be evaluated further in potentially resectable NSCLC.

Azacytidine plus olaparib for relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia, ineligible for intensive chemotherapy, diagnosed with a synchronous malignancy

Patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), ineligible for intensive chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, have a dismal prognosis. For such cases, hypomethylating agents are a viable alternative, but with limited success. Combination chemotherapy using a hypomethylating agent plus another drug would potentially bring forward new alternatives. In the present manuscript, we present the cell and molecular background for a clinical scenario of a 44-year-old patient, diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, diagnosed, and treated with a synchronous AML. Once the ovarian carcinoma relapsed, maintenance treatment with olaparib was initiated. Concomitantly, the bone marrow aspirate showed 30% myeloid blasts, consistent with a relapse of the underlying haematological disease. Azacytidine 75 mg/m2 treatment was started for seven days. The patient was administered two regimens of azacytidine monotherapy, additional to the olaparib-based maintenance therapy. After the second treatment, the patient presented with leucocytosis and 94% myeloid blasts on the bone marrow smear. Later, the patient unfortunately died. Following this clinical scenario, we reproduced in vitro the combination chemotherapy of azacytidine plus olaparib, to accurately assess the basic mechanisms of leukaemia progression, and resistance to treatment. Combination chemotherapy with drugs that theoretically target both malignancies might potentially be of use. Still, further research, both pre-clinical and clinical, is needed to accurately assess such cases.

Chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity in the treatment of gynecological cancers: State of art and an innovative approach for prevention

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect that occurs in 20% of ovarian cancer patients treated with the combination of carboplatin/paclitaxel (CP). This toxicity is directly correlated with the dose of paclitaxel administered. Several studies have investigated whether different formulations of taxane can induce this side effect at a lower rate, but, unfortunately, no significant improvement was obtained. CIPN can be disabling in the daily lives of patients and can cause dose reduction or early termination of the treatment. Neuropathy can last for months and even years after its onset. Moreover, patients responsive to CP treatment are candidates for a reintroduction of the same drugs when disease relapse occurs, and residual neuropathy can affect the continuation of treatment. There are no approved drugs that mitigate or prevent the onset of CIPN. In this review, we summarize the evidence regarding the incidence of CIPN with different taxane formulations, regimen schedules and prevention systems. In particular, the Hilotherm® Chemo care device is a regional cooling system that lowers the temperature of the hands and feet to reduce the flow of chemotherapy into the capillaries. We used hilotherapy during chemotherapy infusion to prevent the onset of CIPN. Updated data from 44 ovarian cancer patients treated with 6 cycle of CP show that hilotherapy was well tolerated; only two patients (4.5%) stopped hilotherapy because of cold intolerance, and only one patient (2.2%) experienced grade ≥ 2 CIPN.

A multidisciplinary approach remains the best strategy to improve and strengthen the management of ovarian cancer (Review)

Ovarian cancer represents one of the most aggressive female tumors worldwide. Over the decades, the therapeutic options for the treatment of ovarian cancer have been improved significantly through the advancement of surgical techniques as well as the availability of novel effective drugs able to extend the life expectancy of patients. However, due to its clinical, biological and molecular complexity, ovarian cancer is still considered one of the most difficult tumors to manage. In this context, several studies have highlighted how a multidisciplinary approach to this pathology improves the prognosis and survival of patients with ovarian cancer. On these bases, the aim of the present review is to present recent advantages in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of ovarian cancer highlighting the benefits of a patient‑centered care approach and on the importance of a multidisciplinary team for the management of ovarian cancer.

Physical and functional well-being and symptoms of ovarian cancer in women undergoing first-line of chemotherapy: a one-year follow-up

PURPOSE

Clinicopathological features and chemotherapy can influence the quality of life (QOL), women with ovarian cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the physical and functional well-being, and ovarian cancer-specific effects scores reported from QOL questionnaire among women with ovarian cancer at the time of in their initial diagnosis and access the scores trajectory of women receiving neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

This prospective study used cross-sectional analysis at baseline and longitudinal analysis from baseline to 12-month post-chemotherapy. QOL was evaluated at the baseline, at sixth cycle and 12-month post-chemotherapy using FACT-O questionnaire. Clinicopathological features and chemotherapy regime were evaluated and tested for associations with QOL measures.

RESULTS

Of the 38 women enrolled in this study, 27 (80.1%) completed the questionnaire for 12 months. The multivariate linear regression results suggest, at the baseline, women with advance stage and presence of post-surgery residual disease showed lower scores in physical and functional well-being, ovarian cancer-specific effects, and FACT-O TOI domains (p < 0.05). Longitudinal analysis spanning over 12 months showed an improvement in mean physical well-being, functional well-being, and ovarian cancer-specific effects scores, independent of chemotherapy received (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

At the baseline, the clinicopathological features such as stage, presence of post-surgery residual disease, and type of chemotherapy correlated with on QOL scores. At one-year follow-up, women who underwent chemotherapy showed improvement in QOL regardless of the type of chemotherapy they received. Future prospective study with a larger group is recommended.

Comparison of dose-dense vs. 3-weekly paclitaxel and carboplatin in the first-line treatment of ovarian cancer in a propensity score-matched cohort

Background

Benefit of carboplatin and dose-dense weekly paclitaxel (ddCT) in first line treatment of ovarian cancer patients has been different in Western and Asian studies. In the present study we compare progression-free survival (PFS) of ddCT to three-weekly carboplatin and paclitaxel (CT) in first-line treatment of ovarian carcinoma in a single institution in a Western population.

Materials and methods

We conducted a retrospective review of medical records from patients with ovarian carcinoma treated in a tertiary cancer center from 2007 to 2018. All patients treated with ddCT or CT in the first-line setting were included. Patients who received first-line bevacizumab were not included. PFS and overall survival (OS) were compared in a propensity score-matched cohort to address selection bias. Patients were matched according to age, ECOG performance status, CA 125, FIGO stage, residual disease, and histological subtype, in a 1:2 ratio.

Results

Five hundred eighty-eight patients were eligible for propensity score matching, the final cohort consisted of 69 patients treated with ddCT and 138 CT group. Baseline characteristics were well-balanced. After a median follow-up of 65.1 months, median PFS was 29.3 vs 20.0 months, favouring ddCT treatment (p = 0.035). In the multivariate cox regression ddCT showed a 18% lower risk of progression (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.68–0.99, p = 0.04). Overall survival data is immature, but suggested better outcomes for ddCT (not reached versus 78.8 months; p = 0.07).

Conclusion

Our retrospective study has shown superior PFS of ddCT over CT regimen in first-line treatment of ovarian carcinoma in a Western population not treated with bevacizumab.

Strategies for the Improvement of Metal-Based Chemotherapeutic Treatments

This article provides an overview of the various research approaches we have explored in recent years to improve metal-based agents for cancer or infection treatments. Although cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin remain the cornerstones in tumor chemotherapy, the discovery and approval of novel inorganic anticancer drugs is a very slow process. Analogously, although a few promising inorganic drugs have found clinical application against parasitic or bacterial infections, their use remains relatively limited. Moreover, the discovery process is often affected by small therapeutic enhancements that are not attractive for the pharmaceutical industry. However, the availability of increasing mechanistic information for the modes of action of established inorganic drugs is fueling the exploration of various approaches for developing effective inorganic chemotherapy agents. Through a series of examples, some from our own research experience, we focus our attention on a number of promising strategies, including (1) drug repurposing, (2) the simple modification of the chemical structures of approved metal-based drugs, (3) testing novel drug combinations, and (4) newly synthesized complexes coupling different anticancer drugs. Accordingly, we aim to suggest and summarize a series of reliable approaches that are exploitable for the development of improved and innovative treatments.

Clinical management of chemotherapy for elderly gynecological cancer patients

AIM

Since there are no established guidelines for the treatment of gynecological cancer in the elderly, medical treatment policy is currently decided by discussion with patients and their families based on doctors' experiences, referring to data from nonelderly patients and healthy elderly patients. The aim of this review was to clarify the current position of chemotherapy for elderly gynecological cancer patients and discuss the problems to be addressed in the future.

METHODS

Little evidence has been accumulated for anticancer drug treatment in elderly individuals with gynecological cancer. This review presents outlines and representative papers on general cancer chemotherapy for the elderly, and problems that need to be solved in gynecological cancer fields in the future are identified.

RESULTS

In 2018, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) published guidelines for "Practical Assessment and Management of Vulnerabilities in Older Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: ASCO Guideline for Geriatric Oncology Summary". This guideline emphasizes that, when administering chemotherapy to patients over 65 years of age, vulnerabilities should be identified using geriatric assessment (GA). However, there have been no reports of clinical studies using GA in patients with cervical or uterine cancers, and only a few clinical studies using GA have been reported in patients with ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Scoring systems suitable for elderly Japanese patients remain lacking. A Japanese gynecological GA needs to be developed in cooperation with other disciplines.

Neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic therapy for newly diagnosed stage II- IV epithelial ovary, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal carcinoma: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

To systematically review neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapy options for women with newly diagnosed stage II-IV ovarian cancer.

METHODS

Phase III trials were searched using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library. Maintenance therapies were excluded.

RESULTS

Thirty-three trials were included. For women with high-risk profiles that would contraindicate upfront cytoreductive surgery, neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be an option. In the post-surgical adjuvant setting, the three-weekly regimen consisting of paclitaxel and carboplatin remains the standard of care. Docetaxel may be offered to those who are unable to tolerate paclitaxel. Intraperitoneal cisplatin and paclitaxel increased OS for stage III optimally debulked women (GOG 172). The intraperitoneal regimens in GOG 252 offered no survival benefit and some harms in terms of toxicity and quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no evidence to support adding a third agent to the standard carboplatin and paclitaxel. Results of the iPocc study will clarify the role of intraperitoneal chemotherapy.

PARP Inhibitor in Platinum-Resistant Ovarian Cancer: Single-Center Real-World Experience

PURPOSE

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have proven efficacy in treatment of BReast CAncer (BRCA) gene mutation-positive platinum-sensitive ovarian cancers. There is paucity of data for their role in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC). We report here retrospective analysis of outcome of PARPi treatment in a group of patients including those of PROC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We analyzed all consecutive patients who received PARPi. The efficacy of PARPi monotherapy was assessed in patients with relapsed high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma with gBRCAm. The drug was procured through compassionate program. Drugs (olaparib and talazoparib) were provided in capsule form.

RESULTS

Between July 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019, 28 patients with ovarian cancer received PARPi. At the time of data censoring (September 30, 2019), four (14.3%) patients are still on treatment. Median age was 54.5 years (range, 39-75 years). Median number of previous lines of chemotherapy received was three (range, 1-6). Eleven platinum-sensitive patients received the drug as maintenance (five in complete response and six in partial response after chemotherapy), whereas 17 (60.7%) had platinum-resistant progressive disease while starting the drug. In PROC, objective response rate (complete response plus partial response) was 47%, median progression-free survival was 8.2 months (5.3-11.3), and overall survival was 14.9 months (11.2-18.5). No new side effects were observed.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study from India evaluating PARPi in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. This study suggests that PARPi is a viable treatment option in patients with PROC with gBRCAm. This should be further evaluated in randomized clinical trial.

Management of the Elderly Patients with High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer in the REAL-WORLD Setting

Treatment of elderly patients with neoplasia is challenging. Age is a known prognostic factor in ovarian cancer but the optimal treatment of elderly patients has not been determined. We undertook a retrospective analysis to determine clinical practice in advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients older than 70 years of age. Methods: Medical records of women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, stage III and IV were retrospectively analyzed. Results: A total of 735 patients were identified with a median age of 61.5 years. 22.4% among them were older than 70 years of age at diagnosis. First-line Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS) were significantly worse in elderly patients in comparison to the younger ones [mPFS 11.3 months vs. 14.8 months, (p < 0.001) and mOS 30.2 months vs. 45.6 months (p < 0.001)]. However, elderly patients were characterized by worse ECOG-Performance Status and they were more frequently treated with Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy followed by Interval Debulking Surgery, while often they were more frequently denied debulking surgery compared to patients under 70 years of age. Moreover, elderly patients received more frequently monotherapy with platinum as frontline treatment. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the outcome of the debulking surgery in comparison to the younger patients or the frequency that gBRCA test was performed. Age over 70 years did not retain its significance for either Progression-Free Survival or Overall Survival when adjusted for all other reported prognostic factors. Conclusions: Elderly ovarian cancer patients have a worse prognosis. Comprehensive geriatric assessment should be performed for the optimal treatment of these patients.

Safety and Efficacy of Weekly Paclitaxel and Cisplatin Chemotherapy for Ovarian Cancer Patients with Hypersensitivity to Carboplatin

Simple Summary

This study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer who developed carboplatin hypersensitivity reaction. Eighty-six (86) patients who developed hypersensitivity reactions for carboplatin were treated with weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy, and 71 (83%) of the 86 patients were able to receive treatment without hypersensitivity reaction to cisplatin. The severity of the hypersensitivity reaction for cisplatin observed in all 15 patients was below grade 2, and there were no deaths due to hypersensitivity reaction to cisplatin. The majority of patients (55 patients, 64%) completed the scheduled weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy, and only 9 patients (10%) discontinued treatment due to hypersensitivity reaction within 6 cycles. Weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy were well-tolerated and effective for patients who developed carboplatin hypersensitivity reaction.

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of weekly paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy (wTP) in patients with ovarian cancer who developed carboplatin hypersensitivity reaction (HSR). Methods: We retrospectively investigated 86 patients with ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal carcinoma who developed carboplatin HSR during previous chemotherapy (carboplatin and paclitaxel) at our institution between 2011 and 2019. After premedication was administered, paclitaxel was administered over 1 h, followed by cisplatin over 1 h (paclitaxel 80 mg/m²; cisplatin 25 mg/m²; 1, 8, 15 day/4 weeks). We investigated the incidence of patients who successfully received wTP for at least one cycle, treatments compliance, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS). Results: The median number of wTP administration cycles was 4 (Interquartile Range IQR, 3–7), 71 patients (83%) successfully received wTP, and 15 patients (17%) developed cisplatin HSR. The efficacy of treatment was as follows: 55 (64%) patients completed the scheduled wTP, 9 (10%) patients discontinued due to HSR to cisplatin within 6 cycles, 1 (1%) patient discontinued due to renal toxicity (grade 2) at the 6th cycle, and 21 (24%) patients discontinued due to progressive disease within 6 cycles. The median PFS and OS after administration of wTP were 10.9 months (95% CI: 7.7–17.7) and 25.9 months (95% CI: 19.0–50.2), respectively. Conclusions: wTP was safe and well-tolerated in patients who developed carboplatin HSR.

Ovarian Cancer, Version 2.2020, NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer in the United States and is the country's fifth most common cause of cancer mortality in women. A major challenge in treating ovarian cancer is that most patients have advanced disease at initial diagnosis. These NCCN Guidelines discuss cancers originating in the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum, as these are all managed in a similar manner. Most of the recommendations are based on data from patients with the most common subtypes─high-grade serous and grade 2/3 endometrioid. The NCCN Guidelines also include recommendations specifically for patients with less common ovarian cancers, which in the guidelines include the following: carcinosarcoma, clear cell carcinoma, mucinous carcinoma, low-grade serous, grade 1 endometrioid, borderline epithelial, malignant sex cord-stromal, and malignant germ cell tumors. This manuscript focuses on certain aspects of primary treatment, including primary surgery, adjuvant therapy, and maintenance therapy options (including PARP inhibitors) after completion of first-line chemotherapy.

Systemic treatment of newly diagnosed advanced epithelial ovarian cancer: From chemotherapy to precision medicine

Despite optimal first-line treatment based on debulking surgery and platinum-paclitaxel chemotherapy, most of the patients with advanced ovarian cancer (AOC) will eventually relapse. Over the last decades, different strategies have been assessed to improve AOC patients' outcomes in the front-line treatment. However, first line treatment landscape of AOC had not undergone major changes until the last three years. In the present review, we will navigate through the different therapeutic approaches developed in first-line AOC which range from variations in dose/administration via of conventional carboplatin-based chemotherapy to the incorporation of anti-angiogenic agents and PARP inhibitors.

Hypoxia-Mediated Decrease of Ovarian Cancer Cells Reaction to Treatment: Significance for Chemo- and Immunotherapies

Hypoxia, a common factor ruling the microenvironment composition, leads to tumor progression. In this hypoxic context, cytokines and cells cooperate to favor cancer development and metastasis. Tumor hypoxia is heterogeneously distributed. Oxygen gradients depend on the vicinity, functionality of blood vessels, and oxygen ability to diffuse into surrounding tissues. Thus, the vasculature state modulates the microenvironment of the tumor cells. Cells sense and react to small variations in oxygen tension, which explains the lack of tumor cells’ unicity in their reaction to drugs. Ovarian cancers are highly hypoxia-dependent, ascites worsening the access to oxygen, in their reactions to both chemotherapy and new immunotherapy. Consequently, hypoxia affects the results of immunotherapy, and is thus, crucial for the design of treatments. Controlling key immunosuppressive factors and receptors, as well as immune checkpoint molecule expression on tumor, immune and stromal cells, hypoxia induces immunosuppression. Consequently, new approaches to alleviate hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment bring promises for ovarian cancer immunotherapeutic strategies. This review focuses on the effects of hypoxia in the microenvironment and its consequences on tumor treatments. This opens the way to innovative combined treatments to the advantage of immunotherapy outcome in ovarian cancers.

Carboplatin plus paclitaxel weekly dose-dense chemotherapy for high-grade ovarian cancer: A re-evaluation

INTRODUCTION

We compared oncologic and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who received dose-dense weekly paclitaxel with 3-weekly carboplatin with those who received standard 3-weekly chemotherapy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Comparison of all consecutive patients with advanced (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stages III-IV) ovarian cancer who received a dose-dense protocol between 2010 and 2016 with an immediate historical cohort of consecutive patients who received standard chemotherapy. Patients who received less than three cycles of treatment were excluded.

RESULTS

In all, 246 patients were included in the study, of whom 128 received the dose-dense protocol and 118 were treated with the standard Q3-week protocol. Patients in the dose-dense group had significantly better progression-free survival than those receiving the standard protocol (median progression-free survival 22 vs 15 months; log rank = 0.026). The overall survival of patients in the dose-dense group was also better than that of the patients in the standard protocol group; however, this difference was not statistically significant (median overall survival 66 vs 54 months; log rank = 0.185). The dose-dense protocol remained significantly associated with favorable survival outcome in multivariable analysis adjusted for stage, histologic type, cytoreductive results and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The use of the dose-dense protocol was associated with higher rates of gastrointestinal, dermatologic, neurologic and hematologic side effects.

CONCLUSION

Despite the limitations associated with the comparison to a historical cohort, a dose-dense chemotherapy protocol resulted in a significantly improved progression-free survival and the overall survival tended to be better, but this difference did not reach statistical significance compared with the standard chemotherapy protocol, and may be considered as a treatment alternative, albeit with some increased side effects.

Management of ovarian cancer: guidelines of the Italian Medical Oncology Association (AIOM)

INTRODUCTION

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Over 5200 new cases of this tumor are diagnosed yearly in Italy, resulting in more than 3600 deaths. In terms of molecular biology, five different ovarian cancer subtypes should be distinguished.

METHOD

This article summarizes the evidence-based guidelines that the Italian Medical Oncology Association (AIOM) has developed with a multidisciplinary panel of experts, including pathologists, gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiotherapists, with the support of methodologists, to help clinicians involved in the management of patients with ovarian cancer in their daily clinical practice.

RESULTS

The most relevant randomized clinical trials regarding surgery, chemotherapy, and molecularly targeted agents (bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors) in early, advanced, and recurrent disease have been critically analyzed. The levels of evidence and strength of recommendation have been reported for any issue.

CONCLUSION

Women with a clinical suspicion of ovarian cancer should be centralized in referral centers. The BRCA test should be requested for all women with nonmucinous and nonborderline tumors, regardless of age and family history. BRCA testing could be preferentially performed on neoplastic tissue. In the presence of a positive tumor test, a genetic test should always be performed on a blood sample to differentiate between germline mutations, which require counseling and genetic testing of family members, and somatic mutations.

Definition and Independent Validation of a Proteomic-Classifier in Ovarian Cancer

Simple Summary

The heterogeneity of epithelial ovarian cancer and its associated molecular biological characteristics are continuously integrated in the development of therapy guidelines. In a next step, future therapy recommendations might also be able to focus on the patient’s systemic status, not only the tumor’s molecular pattern. Therefore, new methods to identify and validate host-related biomarkers need to be established. Using mass spectrometry, we developed and independently validated a blood-based proteomic classifier, stratifying epithelial ovarian cancer patients into good and poor survival groups. We also determined an age dependence of the prognostic performance of this classifier and its association with important biological processes. This work highlights that, just like molecular markers of the tumor itself, the systemic condition of a patient (partly reflected in proteomic patterns) also influences survival and therapy response and could therefore be integrated into future processes of therapy planning.

Abstract

Mass-spectrometry-based analyses have identified a variety of candidate protein biomarkers that might be crucial for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) development and therapy response. Comprehensive validation studies of the biological and clinical implications of proteomics are needed to advance them toward clinical use. Using the Deep MALDI method of mass spectrometry, we developed and independently validated (development cohort: n = 199, validation cohort: n = 135) a blood-based proteomic classifier, stratifying EOC patients into good and poor survival groups. We also determined an age dependency of the prognostic performance of this classifier, and our protein set enrichment analysis showed that the good and poor proteomic phenotypes were associated with, respectively, lower and higher levels of complement activation, inflammatory response, and acute phase reactants. This work highlights that, just like molecular markers of the tumor itself, the systemic condition of a patient (partly reflected in proteomic patterns) also influences survival and therapy response in a subset of ovarian cancer patients and could therefore be integrated into future processes of therapy planning.

Frontline Management of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer-Combining Clinical Expertise with Community Practice Collaboration and Cutting-Edge Research

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the most common histology of ovarian cancer defined as epithelial cancer derived from the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or primary peritoneum. It is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death in women in the United States. Because of a lack of effective screening and non-specific symptoms, EOC is typically diagnosed at an advanced stage (FIGO stage III or IV) and approximately one third of patients have malignant ascites at initial presentation. The treatment of ovarian cancer consists of a combination of cytoreductive surgery and systemic chemotherapy. Despite the advances with new cytotoxic and targeted therapies, the five-year survival rate for all-stage EOC in the United States is 48.6%. Delivery of up-to-date guideline care and multidisciplinary team efforts are important drivers of overall survival. In this paper, we review our frontline management of EOC that relies on a multi-disciplinary approach drawing on clinical expertise and collaboration combined with community practice and cutting edge clinical and translational research. By optimizing partnerships through team medicine and clinical research, we combine our cancer center clinical expertise, community practice partnership, and clinical and translational research to understand the biology of this deadly disease, advance therapy and connect our patients with the optimal treatment that offers the best possible outcomes.

Front-Line Maintenance Therapy in Advanced Ovarian Cancer-Current Advances and Perspectives

Ovarian tumor is the gynecological cancer associated with the highest mortality. Most diseases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, which impairs the chances of prolonged complete remission. The standard front-line treatment of advanced stages combines surgery in an expert center with platinum-based chemotherapy. Most patients experience a relapse in the years following the initial treatment. During the last decade, anti-angiogenic agents used in the maintenance setting improved progression free survival (PFS) over chemotherapy alone. More recently, PARP inhibitors demonstrated substantial efficacy, mainly in patients with germinal or somatic BRCA mutations or other homologous recombination deficiencies (HRD), all involved in double strand DNA Damage Repair (DDR). Other therapeutic paradigms are currently being explored, including combinations of immune-checkpoints inhibitors, chemotherapy, bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors. In addition to these clinical advances, molecular characterization of the tumors and their correlations with drugs efficacy are needed to better understand which patient will benefit the most from the various treatments available to date.

Weekly Carboplatin and Paclitaxel: A Retrospective Comparison with the Three-Weekly Schedule in First-Line Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

BACKGROUND

Conventional first-line combination therapy for ovarian cancer comprises 6 cycles of adjuvant or neoadjuvant carboplatin (AUC5-6) with paclitaxel (175 mg/m² ) every 3 weeks (PC-3W). Weekly scheduling of paclitaxel may maximize its antiangiogenic effect and reduce adverse effects. We compared the efficacy and safety of PC-3W with a modified protocol of weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m² and weekly carboplatin AUC2 administered on days 1, 8, and 15 in a 28-day cycle (i.e., with 1 week off-treatment [PC-W]).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medical records of consecutive patients treated between 2000 and 2018 were reviewed; 707 patients were analyzed for demographic and clinical characteristics, effectiveness and toxicity.

RESULTS

PC-3W was administered to 402 patients (median age, 60.5 years) and PC-W to 305 patients (median age, 62.5 years). Most patients (91.4%) were diagnosed at stage III-IV. Notwithstanding a higher proportion of residual disease and older patients in the PC-W group, median progression-free survival was 21.4 months and 13.2 months for PC-W and PC-3W, respectively; median overall survival was 75.2 and 54.0 months for PC-W and PC-3W, respectively. Cox proportional hazards model indicated improved survival for patients treated with PC-W (hazard ratio, 0.54). Similar results were observed for older patients diagnosed at ≥75 years. PC-W demonstrated a better safety profile, with lower incidence of neuropathy, neutropenia, and alopecia.

CONCLUSION

PC-W is as active and better tolerated than the standard PC-3W regimen. PC-W may serve as an alternative option for elderly or frail patients.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Weekly scheduling of paclitaxel 80 mg/m² and carboplatin AUC2, administered on days 1, 8, and 15 in a 28-day cycle (PC-W) for first-line therapy for advanced ovarian cancer, is as active and better tolerated than the standard regimen of carboplatin and paclitaxel (175 mg/m² ) every 3 weeks (PC-3W). It is possible that the weekly holiday on day 21 in the PC-W regimen may ensure better completion rates (which may result in treatment delays for toxicity in PC-3W). The results of this retrospective analysis highlight the weekly regimen as a valid treatment option, especially for elderly patients and those with significant comorbidities.

Weekly platinum-based chemotherapy versus 3-weekly platinum-based chemotherapy for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer (ICON8): quality-of-life results of a phase 3, randomised, controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The ICON8 study reported no significant improvement in progression-free survival (a primary endpoint) with weekly chemotherapy compared with standard 3-weekly treatment among patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. All ICON8 patients were eligible to take part in the accompanying health-related quality-of-life study, which measured the effect of treatment on self-reported wellbeing, reported here.

METHODS

In this open-label, randomised, controlled, phase 3, three-arm, Gynecologic Cancer Intergroup (GCIG) trial done at 117 hospital sites in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, South Korea, and Republic of Ireland, women (aged at least 18 years) with newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IC-IV ovarian cancer and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-2 were randomly assigned (1:1:1) centrally using minimisation to group 1 (intravenous carboplatin area under the curve [AUC]5 or AUC6 and 175 mg/m2 intravenous paclitaxel every 3 weeks), group 2 (carboplatin AUC5 or AUC6 every 3 weeks and 80 mg/m2 paclitaxel weekly), or group 3 (carboplatin AUC2 weekly and 80 mg/m2 paclitaxel weekly). Randomisation was stratified by GCIG group, disease stage, and outcome and timing of surgery. Patients and clinicians were not masked to treatment assignment. Patients underwent immediate or delayed primary surgery according to clinicians' choice. Patients were asked to complete European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OV28 questionnaires at enrolment, before each chemotherapy cycle, then 6-weekly up to 9 months, 3-monthly up to 2 years, and 6-monthly up to 5 years. Quality of life was a prespecified secondary outcome of the ICON8 study. Within the quality-of-life study, the co-primary endpoints were QLQ-C30 global health score at 9 months (cross-sectional analysis) and mean QLQ-C30 global health score from randomisation to 9 months (longitudinal analysis). Data analyses were done on an intention-to-treat basis. The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01654146 and ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN10356387, and is currently in long-term follow up.

FINDINGS

Between June 6, 2011, and Nov 28, 2014, 1566 patients were recruited into ICON8 (522 were included in group 1, 523 in group 2, and 521 in group 3). Baseline quality-of-life questionnaires were completed by 1438 (92%) of 1566 patients and 9-month questionnaires by 882 (69%) of 1280 patients. We observed no significant difference in global health score at 9 months (cross-sectional analysis) between study groups (group 2 vs group 1, difference in mean score 2·3, 95% CI -0·4 to 4·9, p=0·095; group 3 vs group 1, -0·8, -3·8 to 2·2, p=0·61). Using longitudinal analysis, we found lower global health scores for those receiving weekly paclitaxel than for those receiving 3-weekly chemotherapy (group 2 vs group 1, mean difference -1·8, 95% CI -3·6 to -0·1, p=0·043; group 3 vs group 1, -2·9, -4·7 to -1·1, p=0·0018).

INTERPRETATION

We found no evidence of a difference in global quality of life between treatment groups at 9 months; however, patients receiving weekly treatment reported lower mean quality of life across the 9-month period after randomisation. Taken together with the lack of progression-free survival benefit, these findings do not support routine use of weekly paclitaxel-containing regimens in the management of newly diagnosed ovarian cancer.

FUNDING

Cancer Research UK, Medical Research Council, Health Research Board Ireland, Irish Cancer Society, and Cancer Australia.

The forefront of ovarian cancer therapy: update on PARP inhibitors

BACKGROUND

In recurrent ovarian cancer, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-inhibiting agents have transformed the treatment of platinum-sensitive disease. New data support use of PARP inhibitors earlier in the treatment algorithm.

DESIGN

We review results from recent phase III trials evaluating PARP inhibitors as treatment and/or maintenance therapy for patients with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer. We discuss the efficacy and safety of these agents in the all-comer and biomarker-selected populations studied in clinical trials, and compare the strengths and limitations of the various trial designs. We also consider priorities for future research, with a particular focus on patient selection and future regimens for populations with high unmet need.

RESULTS

Four phase III trials (SOLO-1, PAOLA-1/ENGOT-OV25, PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26 and VELIA/GOG-3005) demonstrated remarkable improvements in progression-free survival with PARP inhibitor therapy (olaparib, niraparib or veliparib) for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer. Differences in trial design (treatment and/or maintenance setting; single agent or combination; bevacizumab or no bevacizumab), patient selection (surgical outcome, biomarker eligibility, prognosis) and primary analysis population (intention-to-treat, BRCA mutated or homologous recombination deficiency positive) affect the conclusions that can be drawn from these trials. Overall survival data are pending and there is limited experience regarding long-term safety.

CONCLUSIONS

PARP inhibitors play a pivotal role in the management of newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, which will affect subsequent treatment choices. Refinement of testing for patient selection and identification of regimens to treat populations that appear to benefit less from PARP inhibitors are a priority.

Frailty is a determinant of suboptimal chemotherapy in women with advanced ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between frailty and chemotherapy delivery among women with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

METHODS

We included women who underwent primary debulking surgery (PDS) for stage IIIC/IV EOC between 1/2/2003 and 12/30/2011, received adjuvant chemotherapy at our institution, and had data available to calculate a frailty deficit index. Frailty was defined as a frailty deficit index ≥0.15. Relative dose intensity (RDI) of chemotherapy was calculated as the percentage of the standard dose that was administered, and compared between frail and non-frail using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test.

RESULTS

Failure to receive chemotherapy following PDS was twice as common among frail vs. non-frail women (26.7% vs 14.2%, p = 0.001). Of the 169 women who received chemotherapy at our institution, 17.2% (29/169) were frail. Frail women were older (mean, 67.9 vs 62.3 years, p = 0.01), had higher BMI (mean, 29.6 vs 25.7 kg/m², p = 0.003), and were less likely to complete 6 cycles of chemotherapy (75.9 vs. 93.6%, p = 0.008). Using an RDI cutoff of 85%, frail women were less likely to have adequate doses of carboplatin (15.8 vs. 66.2%, p < 0.001) and paclitaxel (57.9 vs. 80.5%, p = 0.07) despite no differences in dose delays (34.5 vs. 42.1%), dose reductions (65.5 vs. 68.6%), and severe neutropenia (44.8 vs. 39.3%). After adjusting for age, frailty was associated with shorter progression-free (HR 1.58, 95% CI: 0.99-2.50) and overall survival (HR 2.14, 95% CI: 1.35-3.41).

CONCLUSION

Frail women with EOC were less likely to receive chemotherapy or the optimal dose of chemotherapy after PDS despite no evidence of treatment-related toxicity. Frail EOC patients demonstrated shorter progression-free and overall survival. Further studies are needed to explore the association between frailty, chemotherapy, and survival.

Efficacy and toxicity of prolonged pegylated liposomal doxorubicin use in women with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of extended duration pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) in women with recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma (rEOC).

METHODS

Women with rEOC who received >7 cycles of PLD were retrospectively identified. Response was determined by RECIST 1.1. Progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated from PLD initiation. Toxicity was assessed by CTCAE v5.0. Kaplan Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards were used to evaluate differences in time to recurrence or survival.

RESULTS

69 patients with rEOC received a median of 11.0 cycles (range, 7-115) at a median cumulative dose of 400 mg/m² (range, 210-4600 mg/m²); 29.0% (n = 20) had platinum sensitive and 71.0% (n = 49) had platinum resistant disease. Of the observed grade ¾ toxicities (31.9%; n = 22), dermatologic were most frequent (n = 13; 18.8%). 41 women (59.4%) experienced clinical benefit; complete response in 17.4% (n = 12), partial response in 13.0% (n = 9) and stable disease in 29.0% (n = 20). Median PFS for all patients was 13.0 months (95% CI, 10.7, 15.2); there were no significant differences between platinum sensitive versus resistant disease (15.9 months vs. 12.3 months; HR 1.15, 95% CI, 0.66, 2.00; p = .61). With extended duration PLD, median OS was 40.2 months (95% CI 30.0, 49.0); no significant differences were noted for platinum sensitive versus resistant disease (44.7 months vs. 33.3 months; HR 1.85, 95% CI, 0.91, 3.78; p = .07). Four cases (5.8%) of oral squamous cell carcinoma occurred during treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Among women with both platinum sensitive and resistant rEOC who received >7 cycles of PLD, approximately one-half experienced sustained clinical benefit with acceptable toxicity. PLD may be considered for extended usage and maintenance in initially responding women with rEOC at least stable disease.

Phase II clinical trial of metformin as a cancer stem cell-targeting agent in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUNDEpidemiologic studies suggest that metformin has antitumor effects. Laboratory studies indicate metformin impacts cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). As part of a phase II trial, we evaluated the impact of metformin on CSC number and on carcinoma-associated mesenchymal stem cells (CA-MSCs) and clinical outcomes in nondiabetic patients with advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).METHODSThirty-eight patients with stage IIC (n = 1)/III (n = 25)/IV (n = 12) EOC were treated with either (a) neoadjuvant metformin, debulking surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy plus metformin or (b) neoadjuvant chemotherapy and metformin, interval debulking surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy plus metformin. Metformin-treated tumors, compared with historical controls, were evaluated for CSC number and chemotherapy response. Primary endpoints were (a) a 2-fold or greater reduction in aldehyde dehydrogenase-positive (ALDH+) CD133+ CSCs and (b) a relapse-free survival at 18 months of more than 50%.RESULTSMetformin was well tolerated. Median progression-free survival was 18.0 months (95% CI 14.0-21.6) with relapse-free survival at 18 months of 59.3% (95% CI 38.6-70.5). Median overall survival was 57.9 months (95% CI 28.0-not estimable). Tumors treated with metformin had a 2.4-fold decrease in ALDH+CD133+ CSCs and increased sensitivity to cisplatin ex vivo. Furthermore, metformin altered the methylation signature in CA-MSCs, which prevented CA-MSC-driven chemoresistance in vitro.CONCLUSIONTranslational studies confirm an impact of metformin on EOC CSCs and suggest epigenetic change in the tumor stroma may drive the platinum sensitivity ex vivo. Consistent with this, metformin therapy was associated with better-than-expected overall survival, supporting the use of metformin in phase III studies.TRIAL REGISTRATIONClinicalTrials.gov NCT01579812.

First-Line Management of Advanced High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Epithelial ovarian cancer is a disease that encompasses a number of histologically and molecularly distinct entities; the most prevalent subtype being high-grade serous (HGS) carcinoma. Standard first-line treatment of advanced HGS carcinoma includes cytoreductive surgery plus intravenous paclitaxel/platinum-based chemotherapy. Despite excellent responses to initial treatment, the majority of patients develop recurrent disease within 3 years. The introduction of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor, bevacizumab, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors into first-line management has changed the outlook for this lethal disease. In this review, we summarise the most recent clinical trials that determine current primary therapy of advanced HGS carcinoma and the ongoing trials that aim to change management in the future.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent phase III clinical trials have shown that delayed primary surgery after completing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy is non-inferior to immediate primary surgery, but could provide a survival benefit in FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stage IV disease. The use of weekly intravenous chemotherapy regimens has not been proven to be more effective than standard 3-weekly regimens in Western patient populations, and the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy remains controversial in the first-line setting. In contrast, newer systemic anti-cancer therapies targeting angiogenesis and/or HR-deficient tumours have been successfully incorporated into front-line therapeutic regimens to treat HGS carcinoma. Recent results from randomised trials investigating the use of PARP inhibitors as monotherapy and in combination with the anti-angiogenic agent, bevacizumab, have demonstrated highly impressive efficacy when combined with traditional first-line multi-modality therapy. Management of HGS carcinoma is evolving, but further work is still required to optimise and integrate tumour and plasma biomarkers to exploit the potential of these highly efficacious targeted agents.

Landscape of systemic therapy for ovarian cancer in 2019: Primary therapy

According to the statement from the 5th Ovarian Cancer Consensus Conference in 2015, the primary systemic chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer is a combination of paclitaxel plus carboplatin administered every 3 weeks (PCq3w). Optional alternatives include weekly dose-dense paclitaxel, in combination and maintenance therapy with bevacizumab, and intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Since then, in addition to the PCq3w strategy, there has been emerging new evidence, especially for poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors. Moreover, there are multiple randomized, phase 3 trials testing the addition of antiangiogenic and/or immune checkpoint inhibitors in this patient population. In this article, current and future perspectives of systemic chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer are discussed.

Use of Transabdominal Ultrasound for the detection of intra-peritoneal tumor engraftment and growth in mouse xenografts of epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate intraperitoneal (IP) tumor engraftment, metastasis and growth in a pre-clinical murine epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) model using both transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) and bioluminescence in vivo imaging system (IVIS).

METHODS

Ten female C57Bl/6J mice at six weeks of age were included in this study. Five mice underwent IP injection of 5x106 ID8-luc cells (+ D- luciferin) and the remaining five mice underwent IP injection of ID8-VEGF cells. Monitoring of tumor growth and ascites was performed weekly starting at seven days post-injection until study endpoint. ID8-luc mice were monitored using both TAUS and IVIS, and ID8-VEGF mice underwent TAUS monitoring only. Individual tumor implant dimension and total tumor volume were calculated. Average luminescent intensity was calculated and reported per mouse abdomen. Tumor detection was confirmed by gross evaluation and histopathology. All data are presented as mean +/- standard deviation.

RESULTS

Overall, tumors were successfully detected in all ten mice using TAUS and IVIS, and tumor detection correlated with terminal endpoint histology/ H&E staining. For TAUS, the smallest confirmed tumor measurements were at seven days post-injection with mean long axis of 2.23mm and mean tumor volume of 4.17mm3. However, IVIS imaging was able to detect tumor growth at 14 days post-injection. Ascites formation was detected in mice at 21 days post-injection.

CONCLUSIONS

TAUS is highly discriminatory for monitoring EOC in pre-clinical murine model, allowing for detection of tumor dimension as small as 2 mm and as early as seven days post-injection compared to IVIS. In addition, TAUS provides relevant information for ascites development and detection of multiple small metastatic tumor implants. TAUS provides an accurate and reliable method to detect and monitor IP EOC growth in mouse xenografts.

The Chicago Consensus on Peritoneal Surface Malignancies: Management of Ovarian Neoplasms

The Chicago Consensus Working Group provides multidisciplinary recommendations for the management of ovarian neoplasms specifically related to the management of peritoneal surface malignancy. These guidelines are developed with input from leading experts including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, palliative care physicians, and pharmacists. These guidelines recognize and address the emerging need for increased awareness in the appropriate management of peritoneal surface disease. They are not intended to replace the quest for higher levels of evidence.

The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of ovarian neoplasms

The Chicago Consensus Working Group provides multidisciplinary recommendations for the management of ovarian neoplasms specifically related to the management of peritoneal surface malignancy. These guidelines are developed with input from leading experts, including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, gynecologic oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, palliative care physicians, and pharmacists. These guidelines recognize and address the emerging need for increased awareness in the appropriate management of peritoneal surface disease. They are not intended to replace the quest for higher levels of evidence.

Ovarian Cancer Translational Activity of the Multicenter Italian Trial in Ovarian Cancer (MITO) Group: Lessons Learned in 10 Years of Experience

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer, and despite years of research, with the exception of a BRCA mutation driving the use of PARP inhibitors, no new prognostic/predictive biomarkers are clinically available. Improvement in biomarker selection and validation may derive from the systematic inclusion of translational analyses into the design of clinical trials. In the era of personalized medicine, the prospective centralized collection of high-quality biological material, expert pathological revision, and association to well-controlled clinical data are important or even essential added values to clinical trials. Here, we present the academic experience of the MITO (Multicenter Italian Trial in Ovarian Cancer) group, including gynecologists, pathologists, oncologists, biostatisticians, and translational researchers, whose effort is dedicated to the care and basic/translational research of gynecologic cancer. In our ten years of experience, we have been able to collect and process, for translational analyses, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from more than one thousand ovarian cancer patients. Standard operating procedures for collection, shipping, and processing were developed and made available to MITO researchers through the coordinating center’s web-based platform. Clinical data were collected through dedicated electronic case report forms hosted in a web-based electronic platform and stored in a central database at the trial’s coordinating center, which performed all the analyses related to the proposed translational researches. During this time, we improved our strategies of block management from retrospective to prospective collection, up to the design of a prospective collection with a quality check for sample eligibility before patients’ accrual. The final aim of our work is to share our experience by suggesting a guideline for the process of centralized collection, revision processing, and storing of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks for translational purposes.

Targeting DNA Repair in Ovarian Cancer Treatment Resistance

Most patients with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) develop recurrent disease within 3 years and succumb to the disease within 5 years. Standard treatment for HGSOC is cytoreductive surgery followed by a combination of platinum (carboplatin or cisplatin) and taxol (paclitaxel) chemotherapies. Although initial recurrences are usually platinum-sensitive, patients eventually develop resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy. Accordingly, one of the major problems in the treatment of HGSOC and disease recurrence is the development of chemotherapy resistance. One of the causes of chemoresistance may be redundancies in the repair pathways involved in the response to DNA damage caused by chemotherapy. These pathways may be acting in parallel, where if the repair pathway that is responsible for triggering cell death after platinum chemotherapy therapy is deficient, an alternative repair pathway compensates and drives cancer cells to repair the damage, leading to chemotherapy resistance. In addition, if the repair pathways are epigenetically inactivated by DNA methylation, cell death may not be triggered, resulting in accumulation of mutations and DNA damage. There are novel and existing therapies that can drive DNA repair pathways towards sensitivity to platinum chemotherapy or targeted therapy, thus enabling treatment-resistant ovarian cancer to overcome chemotherapy resistance.

Comparing Paclitaxel-Carboplatin with Paclitaxel-Cisplatin as the Front-Line Chemotherapy for Patients with FIGO IIIC Serous-Type Tubo-Ovarian Cancer

The use of weekly chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with advanced-stage serous-type epithelial Tubo-ovarian cancer (ETOC), and primary peritoneal serous carcinoma (PPSC) is acceptable as the front-line postoperative chemotherapy after primary cytoreductive surgery (PCS). The main component of dose-dense chemotherapy is weekly paclitaxel (80 mg/m²), but it would be interesting to know what is the difference between combination of triweekly cisplatin (20 mg/m²) or triweekly carboplatin (carboplatin area under the curve 5-7 mg/mL per min [AUC 5-7]) in the dose-dense paclitaxel regimen. Therefore, we compared the outcomes of women with Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIC ETOC and PPSC treated with PCS and a subsequent combination of dose-dense weekly paclitaxel and triweekly cisplatin (paclitaxel–cisplatin) or triweekly carboplatin using AUC 5 (paclitaxel–carboplatin). Between January 2010 and December 2016, 40 women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage IIIC EOC, FTC, or PPSC were enrolled, including 18 treated with paclitaxel–cisplatin and the remaining 22 treated with paclitaxel–carboplatin. There were no statistically significant differences in disease characteristics of patients between two groups. Outcomes in paclitaxel–cisplatin group seemed to be little better than those in paclitaxel–carboplatin (median progression-free survival [PFS] 30 versus 25 months as well as median overall survival [OS] 58.5 versus 55.0 months); however, neither reached a statistically significant difference. In terms of adverse events (AEs), patients in paclitaxel–carboplatin group had more AEs, with a higher risk of neutropenia and grade 3/4 neutropenia, and the need for a longer period to complete the front-line chemotherapy, and the latter was associated with worse outcome for patients. We found that a period between the first-time chemotherapy to the last dose (6 cycles) of chemotherapy >21 weeks was associated with a worse prognosis in patients compared to that ≤21 weeks, with hazard ratio (HR) of 81.24 for PFS and 9.57 for OS. As predicted, suboptimal debulking surgery (>1 cm) also contributed to a worse outcome than optimal debulking surgery (≤1 cm) with HR of 14.38 for PFS and 11.83 for OS. Based on the aforementioned findings, both regimens were feasible and effective, but maximal efforts should be made to achieve optimal debulking surgery and following the on-schedule administration of dose-dense weekly paclitaxel plus triweekly platinum compounds. Randomized trials validating the findings are warranted.

Treatment strategies for recurrent ovarian cancer in older adult patients in Japan: a study based on real-world data

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Elderly patients with cancer are often at risk for undertreatment because of frailty, an aging-specific problem. However, current real-world conditions of recurrent ovarian cancer treatment in elderly patients remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify treatment patterns in elderly patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used an ovarian cancer database containing the diagnosis and initial therapy of all patients at the National Cancer Center Hospital in Japan from 2007 to 2014. Patients were stratified into the platinum-sensitive group and the platinum-resistant group. We retrospectively assessed chemotherapy use in patients aged ≤ 64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, and ≥ 80 years.

RESULTS

Among 253 patients (sensitive group: 135; resistant group: 118), by age group 91%, 95%, 100%, 100%, and 100% received chemotherapy in the sensitive group, and 79%, 67%, 50%, 29%, 0% received chemotherapy in the resistant group, respectively. In the resistant group, the percentage of patients aged 70-74 or 75-79 years who received chemotherapy was significantly lower than the percentage among patients aged ≤ 64 years, respectively (p = 0.01, p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, age ≥ 70 years (odds ratio [OR], 4.412; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.628-11.959; p = 0.004) and platinum-free interval < 3 months (OR, 3.434; 95% CI, 1.401-8.399; p = 0.007) were inversely associated with chemotherapy use.

CONCLUSIONS

Doctors and patients did not consider chemotherapy in patients aged ≥ 70 years with platinum-resistant disease. Older age was independently and inversely associated with chemotherapy use in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Our results highlight the importance of demographic information in clinical decision-making for elderly patients.