Continuous infusion fluoropyrimidines as salvage therapy for patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma

A major challenge facing those caring for patients with ovarian carcinoma is inducing remission following the failure of first-line treatment. Toward this end, we have examined the efficacy of continuous infusion fluoropyrimidines. During a 2-year period, nine patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma received treatment with continuous infusion 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or 5-fluorouracil-deoxyribose as single agents or in combination with other drugs. Eight patients were evaluable, with responses obtained with each treatment regimen. Myelotoxicity was mild, with only 3 episodes of grade 4 toxicity out of 70 total cycles of chemotherapy. Mucositis was moderate to severe, tending to be the dose-limiting adverse effect. Continuous infusion 5-FU in these combinations appears to be active with very acceptable toxicity in heavily pretreated patients.