ACTIVITY OF GEMCITABINE IN PATIENTS WITH ADVANCED OVARIAN-CANCER - RESPONSES SEEN FOLLOWING PLATINUM AND PACLITAXEL

Thirty-eight women with epithelial ovarian cancer were treated with ge mcitabine, a new antimetabolite. All had previously received platinum, and 27 had also received paclitaxel. Four patients had a partial resp onse giving a response rate of 13% in assessable patients (n = 31) and 11% for all patients entered. Additionally, 6 patients had stable dis ease with >50% reduction in CA-125 for at least 3 months. Activity was seen in patients resistant to both platinum and paclitaxel. Gemcitabi ne was well tolerated, with uncomplicated neutropenia the main hematol ogical toxicity. Nonhematological toxicities were generally mild and i ncluded fatigue, myalgias, and skin rash. Gemcitabine has some activit y in heavily pretreated ovarian cancer patients and deserves further i nvestigation in this malignancy. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.