Neoadjuvant intraperitoneal chemotherapy with paclitaxel for the radical surgical treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis in ovarian cancer: a prospective pilot study

• Published in: Cancer chemotherapy and pharmacology 2011-07, Vol.68 (1), p.267-274
• Main Authors: Muñoz-Casares, Francisco C., Rufián, Sebastián, Arjona-Sánchez, Álvaro, Rubio, María J., Díaz, Rafael, Casado, Ángela, Naranjo, Álvaro, Díaz-Iglesias, Carlos J., Ortega, Rosa, Muñoz-Villanueva, María C., Muntané, Jordi, Aranda, Enrique
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Antineoplastic agents; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - adverse effects; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Cancer Research; Carcinoma - drug therapy; Carcinoma - pathology; Carcinoma - secondary; Carcinoma - surgery; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Female genital diseases; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Life Sciences; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Oncology; Ovarian cancer; Ovarian Neoplasms - drug therapy; Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology; Paclitaxel - administration & dosage; Paclitaxel - adverse effects; Paclitaxel - therapeutic use; Peritoneal Neoplasms - drug therapy; Peritoneal Neoplasms - secondary; Peritoneal Neoplasms - surgery; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Short Communication; Treatment Outcome; Tumors
• ISSN: 0344-5704; 1432-0843
• DOI: 10.1007/s00280-011-1646-4

Purpose The admitted benefits of intraperitoneal chemotherapy during postoperative administration for the treatment of peritoneal carcinomatosis from ovarian origin are limited by their associated morbidity and restricted diffusion by the presence of multiple intra-abdominal adherences. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the security, effectiveness, and cytoreduction optimization of intraperitoneal paclitaxel administration previously to radical surgery/peritonectomy/HIPEC (hyperthermic intraoperative intraperitoneal chemotherapy) either in monotherapy or combined with intravenous carboplatin. Methods Prospective pilot study of 10 patients with ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis in stage IIIc-FIGO without previous treatment. After staging of the diseases by laparoscopy, five patients received paclitaxel by weekly intraperitoneal administration (60 mg/m 2 , 10 cycles), and other five patients additionally received intravenous carboplatin every 21 days (AUC 6, 4 cycles). Subsequently radical surgery/peritonectomy with HIPEC was performed. Results The presence of moderate abdominal pain was the most common (70%) side effect associated with neoadjuvant paclitaxel intraperitoneal administration. The intravenous carboplatin administration was not associated with significant increase in adverse effects. It boosted intraperitoneal paclitaxel-associated antitumoral activity with a high average decrease in Index Cancer Peritoneal (21.2 vs. 14.4, P  = 0.066) and CA 125(1,053 vs. 346, P  = 0.043). All the patients who received combined neoadjuvant chemotherapy obtained R0 cytoreduction. Five-year overall survival was 62%. Conclusions The intraperitoneal paclitaxel weekly administration combined with intravenous carboplatin administration prior to radical surgery/peritonectomy with HIPEC is a safe and effective option in the treatment of ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis. This study shows the possibility to investigate other forms of intraperitoneal chemotherapy and their combinations thoroughly.