Two for good measure: six versus eight cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel as adjuvant treatment for epithelial ovarian cancer

The effect of older age on treatment outcomes in women with advanced ovarian cancer receiving chemotherapy: An NRG-Oncology/Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG-0182-ICON5) ancillary study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effect of age on overall survival (OS) in women with ovarian cancer receiving chemotherapy. Secondary objectives were to describe the effect of age on treatment compliance, toxicities, progression free survival (PFS), time from surgery to chemotherapy, and rates of optimal cytoreduction.

METHODS

Women enrolled in GOG 0182-ICON5 with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) who underwent surgery and chemotherapy between 2001 and 2004 were included. Patients were divided into ages <70 and ≥ 70 years. Baseline characteristics, treatment compliance, toxicities, and clinical outcomes were compared.

RESULTS

We included a total of 3686 patients, with 620 patients (16.8%) ≥ 70 years. OS was 37.2 months in older compared to 45.0 months in younger patients (HR 1.21, 95% CI, 1.09-1.34, p < 0.001). Older patients had an increased risk of cancer-specific-death (HR 1.16, 95% CI, 1.04-1.29) as well as non-cancer related deaths (HR 2.78, 95% CI, 2.00-3.87). Median PFS was 15.1 months in older compared to 16.0 months in younger patients (HR 1.10, 95% CI, 1.00-1.20, p = 0.056). In the carboplatin/paclitaxel arm, older patients were just as likely to complete therapy and more likely to develop grade ≥ 2 peripheral neuropathy (35.7 vs 19.7%, p < 0.001). Risk of other toxicities remained equal between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In women with advanced EOC receiving chemotherapy, age ≥ 70 was associated with shorter OS and cancer specific survival. Older patients receiving carboplatin and paclitaxel reported higher rates of grade ≥ 2 neuropathy but were not more likely to suffer from other chemotherapy related toxicities. Clintrials.gov: NCT00011986.

Treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the third most common gynecologic malignancy worldwide but accounts for the highest mortality rate among these cancers. A stepwise approach to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment is vital to appropriate management of this disease process. An integrated approach with gynecologic oncologists as well as medical oncologists, pathologists, and radiologists is of paramount importance to improving outcomes. Surgical cytoreduction to R0 is the mainstay of treatment, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. Genetic testing for gene mutations that affect treatment is the standard of care for all women with epithelial ovarian cancer. Nearly all women will have a recurrence, and the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer continues to be nuanced and requires extensive review of up to date modalities that balance efficacy with the patient's quality of life. Maintenance therapy with poly ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitors, bevacizumab, and/or drugs targeting homologous recombination deficiency is becoming more widely used in the treatment of ovarian cancer, and the advancement of immunotherapy is further revolutionizing treatment targets.

Clinical outcomes in ovarian cancer patients receiving three versus more cycles of chemotherapy after neoadjuvant treatment and interval cytoreductive surgery

OBJECTIVES

To compare clinical outcomes for stage IIIC and IV ovarian cancer patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval cytoreductive surgery followed by up to three versus more cycles of post-operative chemotherapy.

METHODS

We conducted a multi-institution retrospective cohort study of patients treated from January 2005 to February 2016 with neoadjuvant platinum-based therapy followed by interval surgery and post-operative chemotherapy. The following were exclusion criteria: more than four cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, bevacizumab with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, non-platinum therapy, prior chemotherapy, and elevated CA125 values after three post-operative chemotherapy cycles. Progression-free and overall survival and toxicity profiles were compared between groups receiving up to three cycles versus more that three cycles post-operatively.

RESULTS

A total of 100 patients met inclusion criteria: 41 received up to three cycles and 59 received more than three cycles. The groups were similar in terms of age, body mass index, performance status, tumor histology, optimal cytoreduction rates, and median number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles. Median progression-free survival was 14 vs 16.6 months in those receiving up to three cycles versus more than three cycles, respectively (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.58 to 1.68, p=0.97). Similarly, median overall survival was not different at 47.1 vs 69.4 months, respectively (HR 1.96, 95% CI 0.87 to 4.42, p=0.10). There were no differences in grade 2 or higher chemotherapy-related toxicities.

CONCLUSIONS

Extending post-operative chemotherapy beyond three cycles in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval cytoreductive surgery with normalization of CA125 levels was not associated with improved survival or greater toxicity. Future study in a larger cohort is warranted to define optimal length of cytotoxic treatment.

Olaparib: an oral PARP-1 and PARP-2 inhibitor with promising activity in ovarian cancer

Olaparib (Lynparza™; AZD2281) is a potent PARP-1 and PARP-2 inhibitor with biologic activity in ovarian cancer as well as other solid tumors. It has been tested in Phase I and II trials and has single-agent activity in both germline BRCA mutated and sporadic ovarian cancer. Phase III trials assessing the efficacy of olaparib in the maintenance setting following first line and platinum-sensitive recurrence are underway for patients with a germline BRCA mutation, given the inherent molecular compatibility with the drug's mechanism of action.

Optimal duration of fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with resectable gastric cancer

Background

Although several clinical trials have suggested that postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy can improve survival of patients with gastric cancer, the optimal treatment duration has not been studied. This retrospective analysis evaluated the outcomes of patients with gastric cancer treated with six cycles of fluorouracil-based treatment compared with a cohort treated with four or eight cycles.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 237 patients with stage IB–IIIC gastric cancer who received four, six, or eight cycles of fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy administered every 3 weeks after radical gastrectomy. The endpoint was overall survival (OS). Factors associated with prognosis were also analyzed.

Results

The estimated 3-year OS rates for the four-, six-, and eight-cycle cohorts were 54.4%, 76.1%, and 68.9%, respectively; and the estimated 5-year OS rates were 41.2%, 74.0%, and 65.8%, respectively. Patients who received six cycles were more likely to have a better OS than those who received four cycles (P = 0.002). Eight cycles failed to show an additional survival benefit (P = 0.454). In the multivariate analysis, the number of chemotherapy cycles was associated with OS independent of clinical covariates (P<0.05). Subgroup analysis suggested that among patients in all age groups examined, male patients, and subgroups of fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin combined chemotherapy, stage III, poor differentiation, and gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy, six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy were associated with a statistically significant benefit of OS compared with four cycles (P<0.05).

Conclusions

Six cycles of adjuvant chemotherapy might lead to a favorable outcome for patients with gastric cancer, and two further cycles could not provide an additional clinical benefit.