Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin consolidation therapy after platinum/paclitaxel-based chemotherapy for suboptimally debulked, advanced-stage epithelial ovarian cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of using pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) as a consolidation therapy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer who have attained a clinically defined complete response to initial platinum/paclitaxel-based chemotherapy.
METHODS: Patients diagnosed with suboptimally debulked stage IIIC/IV epithelial ovarian cancer who attained a clinically defined complete response at the completion of platinum/paclitaxel-based chemotherapy were eligible for this protocol. Patients were treated with PLD at a dose of 40 mg/m(2) every 28 days for four cycles. A survival analysis was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.
RESULTS: Of the 30 patients enrolled, 29 were evaluable. Twenty-three patients (79%) completed all four cycles of consolidation therapy. Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia was the most common toxicity. Six patients remained clinically without evidence of disease with a median follow-up of 35 months from the completion of primary chemotherapy. The median progression-free interval was 15 months, and median overall survival time was 31 months, with 47% of patients achieving a 4-year survival.
CONCLUSIONS: Consolidation therapy with PLD chemotherapy administered to women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer after initial chemotherapy appears feasible based on its toxicity profile. Considering the tolerability of this agent, further investigation is needed to depict the optimal dose and schedule needed for consolidation therapy.