Paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy in a hemodialysis patient with advanced ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND

There are few reports on the pharmacokinetics of paclitaxel combined with carboplatin or on the dose schedule of carboplatin in combination use during hemodialysis in patients with ovarian cancer.

CASE

A 40-year-old woman with chronic renal failure on hemodialysis who had FIGO stage III ovarian cancer was treated with debulking surgery and carboplatin/paclitaxel combination chemotherapy. Paclitaxal was administered at 150 mg/m(2) as a 3-h intravenous infusion followed by a 30-min infusion of carboplatin on a nondialysis day. The carboplatin dose was chosen to produce a target area under the concentration/time curve (AUC) of 5.0 microg-min/ml according to the Calvert formula. The pharmacokinetic study showed that the AUCs of free platinum and paclitaxel were 4.43 microg-min/ml and 15.9 microg-h/ml, respectively. Dosing of carboplatin based on the AUC produced an acceptable degree of thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. After the completion of five cycles of the combination chemotherapy, the tumor showed complete response, and the patient remained disease free for 8 months.

CONCLUSION

Paclitaxel and carboplatin combination chemotherapy can be given to patients undergoing hemodialysis, with dialysis performed 16 h after the administration and with a dose adjustment of carboplatin to reach a target AUC. In these conditions, tumor response can be obtained.