Second-line chemotherapy with cisplatin-ifosfamide in patients with ovarian cancer previously treated with carboplatin-cyclophosphamide.

Abstract In an effort to use antineoplastic drug combinations which are active in platinum resistant ovarian cancer or which can induce a second response after a platinum first-line treatment, we conducted a study on 30 ovarian cancer patients previously treated with carboplatin plus cyclophosphamide who were given ifosfamide 5 g/m2 i.v. divided over days 1 to 3 plus mesma combined with cisplatin 100 mg/m2 i.v. divided over days 1 to 3 every 4 weeks as second-line treatment. Eight patients had never entered remission with first-line chemotherapy while 22 patients had tumor recurrence within 6 to 18 months after the end of chemotherapy and their tumors were considered potentially platinum sensitive. Responding patients received 6 courses while palliative treatment for nonresponders was provided. Of the 22 patients with tumor recurrence, 8 patients responded with one partial response (PR) and 7 complete clinical responses (CCR). Two out of the 8 patients with platinum resistant disease demonstrated short la...