A multicenter phase II study of carboplatin in advanced ovarian carcinoma: final report

A phase II trial of single-agent carboplatin in advanced ovarian cancer was performed by 19 institutions from 10 European countries. A total of 260 patients were treated, with a median age of 55 (range: 20-79) years. Karnofsky performance status was 80-100 in about two-thirds of the patients. Prior therapy consisted of surgery only in 31 patients, irradiation in 9, chemotherapy without cisplatin in 45, and with cisplatin in 175. Carboplatin was administered as second-line therapy in about one-half and as third-line or more in one additional third of the study population. Initial dose was 400 mg/m2 in 90, 360 mg/m2 in 152, and 320 mg/m2 or less in 18 patients. A total of 971 courses (mean 3.7, median 2, range: 1-13) of therapy were administered. A total of 16 complete and 46 partial responses were observed in 226 evaluable patients, for an objective response rate of 27%. Efficacy was greater in chemotherapy-untreated patients (51% vs. 23%, p = 0.002). In cisplatin-pretreated patients activity was significantly higher in non-refractory patients (26% vs. 4%, p = 0.015). Myelosuppression was the most significant side effect. However, low hematologic counts seldom translated into clinically significant complications. Patients with impaired baseline creatinine clearance and poor performance status were at higher risk of developing severe myelosuppression during the initial course of treatment. Non hematologic side effects were rare and mild, except for emesis. Carboplatin has a definite role in the treatment of ovarian cancer, but almost complete cross-resistance with the parent compound was observed clinically.