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Updated: May 24, 2026
Long-term Live-cell Imaging to Assess Cell Fate in Response to Paclitaxel
Published on: May 14, 2018
Feasibility study on biweekly paclitaxel treatment as maintenance chemotherapy in advanced müllerian carcinoma
Yukihisa Minagawa1, Muneaki Shimada, Hiroaki Itamochi
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tottori Prefectural Central Hospital, Tottori, Japan. minagawa-y@pref.tottori.jp
Aim:
To evaluate the feasibility of biweekly paclitaxel treatment as maintenance chemotherapy for patients with advanced müllerian carcinoma.
Methods:
Thirty patients with stage III or IV ovarian, fallopian tube, and peritoneal cancers who underwent primary optimal surgery and standard 6 cycles of carboplatin/taxane-based chemotherapy and exhibited a complete clinical response were entered in this study. Paclitaxel 80 mg/m(2) was administered biweekly for 12 cycles. Patients were evaluated monthly for treatment-related toxicity.
Results:
Four patients, including 3 disease progressions and 1 bone marrow suppression, came off the protocol therapy. Twenty-six (86.7%) patients received complete treatment. Although the major toxicity was neutropenia, most of those patients (27/30, 90.0%) did not experience grade 3 or 4 neutropenia. Twenty-four (80.0%) patients showed persistent grade 1 neuropathy and the remaining 6 (20.0%) did not as a result of prior therapy. However, none experienced neuropathy progression during or after the protocol therapy. Most (17/22, 77.3%) of the completely treated patients experienced a regression of symptoms during and after therapy.
Conclusion:
Biweekly paclitaxel therapy is well tolerated by patients with advanced müllerian carcinoma and is therefore acceptable as a candidate for maintenance chemotherapy in these patients.
