Cisplatin Induction With Paclitaxel Consolidation for Stage III-IV Epithelial Ovarian and Primary Peritoneal Cancer

Clinically, there has been extensive experience with topotecan and cisplatin. Recently, several investigators have evaluated the combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin and topotecan. As expected, myelosuppression was the dose-limiting factor. Herben et al recently reported the results of a phase I trial using the combination of paclitaxel, cisplatin, and topotecan as first line therapy in advanced stage ovarian cancer. Interestingly, the authors could not achieve a dose of topotecan that would be considered "optimal" for the treatment of relapsed disease in a single-agent fashion. The inability to utilize a therapeutic dose when combined with either platinum or paclitaxel has been demonstrated in previous reports and affirms the bone marrow suppressive effect. The clinical response rate from this trial was reported as 86.7%.