High-dose chemotherapy in advanced epithelial ovarian cancer

Since more than thirty years, ovarian cancer is wellknown to be chemosensit ive. However, long term results of advanced stages remain low with 5 years overall survival around 20%. That's why high-dose chemotherapy in this chem osensitive disease has to be considered. Here, authors report the French, e uropean and american experiences in three clinical settings: first in conso lidation after complete or very good partial response, second after relapse or for refractory disease, third as first line treatment to increase clini cal and pathological complete responses and improve prognosis. The more pro mising results concern high-dose chemotherapy as consolidation setting. The preliminary results of the French multicentric randomized phase III study (high-dose versus conventional dose) gives a favorable tread for high-dose approach as consolidation. This unique trial would definitively establish t he place of high-dose chemotherapy in the first line treatment of advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.