Effectiveness of low-dose oral etoposide treatment in patients with recurrent and platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity profile of oral etoposide (50mg/day, days 1-14, every 3 weeks) in recurrent platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). 52 recurrent platinum-resistant EOC patients followed up in four centres between April 2000 and December 2013 were analysed retrospectively. There was response in a total of 21 patients [partial response (PR) and stable disease (SD)], 12 of them used etoposide in second and third, and 9 of them used it in fourth- to fifth-lines of treatment. The overall response rate was 19.2% and clinical benefit rate was 40.4% [PR (19.2%), SD (21.2%)]. Median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) was 9.95 months (95%CI, 0.2-19.7 months) and 3.2 months (95%CI 2.6-3.8 months), respectively. Grade III-IV haematologic and non-haematologic adverse events were observed in 7 (13.4%) patients. We consider that oral etoposide (50mg/day, days 1-14, every 3 weeks) is an effective treatment with a manageable adverse effect profile in recurrent platinum-resistant EOC patients.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject: Oral etoposide is an effective option for recurrent EOC patients at a dose of 50-100mg/m(2)/day (1-21 days, every 28 days) regimen. However, it has a high toxicity rate.What the results of this study add: Oral etoposide at a dose of 50mg/kg (1-14 days, every 21 days) is an effective treatment with a manageable toxicity profile in platinum- resistant ovarian cancer patients when it is used as 4th-line palliative setting.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: We need trials evaluating the effect of low-dose oral etoposide combination with bevacizumab or other chemotherapy agents (irinotecan and gemcitabine) in platinum-resistant EOC patients.