Chemotherapy and complications in gynecologic cancer

Amelioration of toxicity is of major concern to every physician treating patients suffering from gynecologic cancer. If dose escalation in treatment of ovarian cancer is to be considered, the highest priority should be trying to overcome the toxicities of cisplatin, the cornerstone of chemotherapy. So far, dose limiting side-effects are nephro-, neuro-, and ototoxicity. These toxicities may play an even more important role when doses, higher than conventionally given, are to be considered. At higher doses other toxicities such as myelosuppression may become dose limiting. However, nausea and vomiting, which up until now have been intractable, are the most outspoken acute adverse events suffered by the patients. Development of new antiemetic treatment modalities is therefore noteworthy.