Tandem high-dose chemotherapy with ifosfamide, carboplatin, and teniposide with autologous bone marrow transplantation for the treatment of poor prognosis common epithelial ovarian carcinoma.

BACKGROUND

A phase I or II trial was conducted to assess the toxicity and the efficacy of a tandem high dose chemotherapy combining ifosfamide, carboplatin, and teniposide in patients with poor prognosis ovarian carcinoma.

METHODS

Thirty-seven patients were scheduled to receive tandem high dose therapy combining ifosfamide 7500 to 11250 mg/m2, carboplatin 875 ot 1000 mg/m2 and teniposide 750 to 1000 mg/m2, followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). Eight patients were refractory to the platin-based regimen, 7 were treated in chemosensitive relapse, and 22 in partial or complete response (PR/CR) were treated. Sixty-six cycles were administered. Sixteen patients were evaluated for response.

RESULTS

The overall response rate was 56% (CR rate: 12%). Toxic effects consisted of mainly renal toxicity, esophagitis, and enterocolitis. Three patients died of therapy-related complications. Since the time of ABMT, the median overall survival (OS) duration of the whole population was 18 months and the survival rate was 14% at 60 months. For the 22 patients treated after PR or CR, the median OS duration was 24 months and the survival rate was 32% at 60 months. Tandem high dose therapy with ABMT was unable to circumvent resistance to conventional chemotherapy or to prolong the duration of survival for patients treated in chemosensitive relapse. For patients treated after CR or PR, the survival results were similar to that achieved with conventional therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Prospective, randomized studies, including patients only after CR or with minimal residual disease, are urgently required to evaluate the activity of high dose therapy in the treatment of advanced ovarian carcinoma.