Vinblastine, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin, doxorubicin, and etoposide in the treatment of small cell carcinoma of the ovary.

This report presents five adolescent girls and adult women with small cell carcinoma of the ovary (SCCO) who were treated with a polychemotherapy regimen consisting of vinblastine, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin, Adriamycin (doxorubicin), and etoposide (VPCBAE). Two patients had Stage IA, one Stage IIC, and two Stage IIIA disease. Initial therapy consisted of unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in two cases and total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy in three cases. Three patients remained clinically free of disease after six courses of VPCBAE and the two patients who had measurable pelvic disease before the administration of chemotherapy had objective responses. Four patients died of disease from 11 to 18 months after initial laparotomy. One patient is alive and disease-free at 29 months. The VPCBAE combination appears to be effective in select cases of SCCO. A study of the efficacy of VPCBAE in a larger group of patients with SCCO seems to be indicated.