Among vulnerable older patients with ovarian cancer, single-agent carboplatin is proposed instead of conventional carboplatin-paclitaxel doublet therapy. The effects of this approach on patients have not been well-studies. This study aims to compare the efficacy, safety, and feasibility of single-agent carboplatin and carboplatin-paclitaxel in vulnerable older patients with ovarian cancer.
This open-label, randomized, 3-arm clinical trial included a total of 120 women aged 70 years and older with newly diagnosed stage III/IV ovarian cancer. The patients were randomized to receive six cycles of carboplatin plus paclitaxel, plus paclitaxel, or weekly carboplatin plus paclitaxel. The primary outcome of the study was feasibility, determined by the ability to complete six chemotherapy cycles without any complications.
The study was terminated during its third meeting due to a significantly worse survival rate of single-agent carboplatin. A total of 26 of 40 patients (65%) completed six cycles in the combination group, 19 of 40 (48%) in the single-agent carboplatin group, and 24 of 40 (60%) in the weekly combination group. Four treatment-related deaths were reported during the study.
The research concluded that single-agent carboplatin was less safe, effective, and feasible compared to weekly carboplatin-paclitaxel regimens in vulnerable older patients with ovarian cancer.
Ref: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2778657?resultClick=1
