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Updated: May 9, 2026

Quantitation of Intra-peritoneal Ovarian Cancer Metastasis
Published on: July 18, 2016
The current state of pemetrexed in ovarian cancer
Rowan E Miller1, Susana Banerjee
1The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Fulham Road, London, SW3 6JJ, UK.
Introduction:
Pemetrexed is a multitargeted antifolate drug that has shown benefit in several clinical trials in solid tumors. It is currently approved for the treatment of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and mesothelioma, and is being explored in epithelial ovarian cancer.
Areas Covered:
In this article, the clinical development of pemetrexed in relation to ovarian cancer is discussed. Early phase clinical trials using pemetrexed monotherapy or in combination with other cytotoxic or target agents are reviewed. The safety profile of pemetrexed will also be evaluated.
Expert Opinion:
A number of Phase I and II clinical trials have evaluated the use of pemetrexed in patients with ovarian cancer. Thus far, there are no randomized studies that address the role of pemetrexed compared to current, standard treatments. The activity of single agent pemetrexed in platinum-resistant patients is worth exploring. Biomarker-driven randomized, clinical trials and patient selection are key for the future development of pemetrexed.
Insights
Pemetrexed shows potential in ovarian cancer treatment, with early trials exploring its use. Future research should focus on biomarker-driven studies to determine its role against standard therapies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Pemetrexed is a multitargeted antifolate drug with demonstrated efficacy in solid tumors.
- Currently approved for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and mesothelioma.
- Pemetrexed is under investigation for epithelial ovarian cancer treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the clinical development of pemetrexed in ovarian cancer.
- To review early-phase clinical trials of pemetrexed in ovarian cancer.
- To evaluate the safety profile of pemetrexed in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Review of early phase clinical trials.
- Analysis of pemetrexed monotherapy and combination regimens.
- Evaluation of pemetrexed safety data.
Main Results:
- Several Phase I and II trials have assessed pemetrexed in ovarian cancer patients.
- No randomized studies directly compare pemetrexed to current standard treatments.
- The activity of single-agent pemetrexed in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer warrants further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Future pemetrexed development in ovarian cancer requires biomarker-driven randomized trials.
- Patient selection is crucial for optimizing pemetrexed's therapeutic potential.
- Further research is needed to establish pemetrexed's role in standard ovarian cancer treatment regimens.

