Modulation and intensification of a cyclophosphamide, hexamethylmelamine, doxorubicin, and cisplatin ovarian cancer regimen.

For 61 patients with stage III-IV carcinoma of the ovary, chemotherapy consisted first of cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on day 1, cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2 on day 3, doxorubicin 50 mg/m2 on day 3, and hexamethylmelamine 100 mg/m2 on days 4-15 every 4 weeks. The dosages of doxorubicin and hexamethylmelamine were increased by 60 and 100%, respectively, until the nadir white blood cell counts fell to 1.0 x 10(9)/L. This regimen was less neurotoxic and nephrotoxic than other intensive treatments and produced better therapeutic effects than did the immediate preceding Mount Sinai regimens: 1) The overall median survival was 43 months and progression-free survival was 25 months; 2) the greatest benefit occurred among patients under 50 years of age; 3) regression of large tumors increased in frequency, with 33% of tumors 2-6 cm and 16% of tumors larger than 6 cm converted to either pathologically proved remission or microscopic disease; and 4) for the first time, partial surgical debulking producing residual tumors less than 6 cm in size improved early survival.