PHASE-II TRIAL OF FLUTAMIDE IN ADVANCED OVARIAN-CANCER - AN EORTC GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER COOPERATIVE GROUP-STUDY

New active non-toxic therapeutic regimens are warranted in ovarian can cer relapsing after platinum-based chemotherapy. Some investigators ha ve determined that androgen receptors predominated over oestrogen and progesterone receptors in untreated common epithelial ovarian cancer t issue cytosols. In an effort to test its antitumoural activity, 68 pre treated patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were given flutamide 7 50 mg/day orally for at least 2 months. Of 32 patients who received a minimum of 2 months of therapy, pretreated with at least one platinum- based chemotherapy, and a median of two chemotherapy regimens, two (6. 3%) objective responses (one complete and one partial) and nine (28%) disease stabilisations were observed; these lasted 44 and 72 weeks, re spectively (for the complete and partial response), and for a median o f 24 weeks for stabilisations (range 12-48+). Nausea and vomiting were the most frequent side-effects. These occurred in 19/55 (34.5%) patie nts evaluable for toxicity. Flutamide has to be considered ineffective in patients extensively pretreated with chemotherapy, and it is not d evoid of side-effects.