[Dose intensified carboplatin monotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer]

Platinum derivatives are known as the most effective cytostatic agents in ovarian carcinoma. The steep dose-response curves described by Hryniuk and Levin [5] make them the ideal substances for dose escalation. We treated patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma with dose intensified carboplatinmonotherapy six times at AUC 5 (= +/- 400 mg/m2 in patients with normal renal function). Dose intensification was not done by increasing single doses, but by shortening the intervals between therapies (23, 21, 17, 14 days). In order to prevent leucopenia G-CSF was administered at a dose of 5 micrograms/kg s.c. Besides mild emesis no extramedullary toxicity especially no alopezia was documented. Up to an interval of 17 days therapy was safe; no thrombocytopenia < 49,000 x 10(6)/L and no leucopenia < 1000 x 10(6) was observed. With the intention to arrive at a 14-day interval and to attain further dose escalation we will treat future patients with a slightly reduced dose of carboplatin (AUC 4) in combination with escalating doses of cis-platinum, which is known for its low myelotoxicity.