A case of chronic paclitaxel administration in ovarian cancer

Background. Treatment with chemotherapeutic agents, after initial ovarian tumor debulking, and during recurrence, results in extended chemotherapy. When ovarian cancer recurs, chemotherapy is continued when patients respond to therapy. However, the disease may become stable. Stable disease is clinically relevant and no longer an indication of treatment failure. Case. A woman with advanced ovarian cancer was treated with cytoxan and cisplatin chemotherapy after having surgical cytoreduction. She progressed and was placed on monthly intravenous paclitaxel. After an initial partial response to therapy, she then went into a prolonged stable course of her disease. She subsequently received 67 cycles of monthly paclitaxel therapy. Conclusion. Chronic administration of paclitaxel resulted in prolonged stabilization of disease and was well tolerated. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.