Cabazitaxel - A Treatment Option in Recurrent Platinum-resistant Ovarian Cancer

Treatment of recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer remains challenging due to the development of resistance to chemotherapy. Cabazitaxel is a new taxane that has demonstrated beneficial effect in prostate cancer patients resistant to docetaxel. Therefore, it could be anticipated to possibly also have an effect on chemotherapy resistant ovarian cancer.

Twenty-six patients with chemotherapy-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube or peritoneal cancer were treated with cabazitaxel at a dose of 25 mg/m² (on day 1 of each 3-week cycle), until progression or inacceptable toxicity, between September 2015 and April 2018. The fraction of patients without progression after three months of treatment was the primary endpoint. Prophylaxis with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was prescribed to all patients.

The median number of cabazitaxel infusions was 4 (range=1-18). In general, cabazitaxel was well-tolerated. The fraction of patients alive and without progression after 3 months of treatment was 54% (14/26). The response rate was 46% (12/26) according to the Gynecological Cancer Intergroup (GCIG) criteria for CA125. Partial response (PR), evaluated by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), was found in 4/26 patients (15%). By intention-to-treat analysis, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 3.9 months (95% CI=1.9-4.4) using the combination of CA125 or RECIST (whichever came first), while the median overall survival (OS) was 8.4 months (95% CI=5.1-11.0).

Cabazitaxel holds promise as a drug in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. It demonstrated efficacy and in general, the toxicity was manageable.