Therapeutic advances in ovarian cancer

The propensity of ovarian cancer to recur--even after initial chemotherapeutic responses--is a problem that has been given a great deal of attention during the past year in the literature dealing with the treatment of ovarian cancer. Most of the articles address techniques to improve the percent of initial and secondary treatment responses. Several studies have described cytoreductive techniques to decrease the remaining tumor size for improved chemotherapeutic response. Cross-resistance between platinum analogues has been reconfirmed. However, improved secondary responses were seen when repeat treatment with platinum agents were preceded by a longer interval from initial platinum agent therapy. Radiation therapy has been shown to offer little solution to recurrent disease except possibly in a select group of patients with microscopic disease at second-look laparotomy. Reports on the use of carboplatin continue to demonstrate good initial responses, with decreased toxicity compared with cisplatin. Granisetron has been shown to significantly decrease the nausea and vomiting caused by emetogenic chemotherapy like cisplatin.