Phase III Trial of Observation Versus Six Courses of Paclitaxel in Patients With Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer in Complete Response After Six Courses of Paclitaxel/Platinum-Based Chemotherapy: Final Results of the After-6 Protocol 1

Purpose To assess whether six courses of paclitaxel are effective as consolidation treatment in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer who are in complete response after first-line paclitaxel/platinum–based chemotherapy. Patients and Methods Patients with stages IIb to IV disease in clinical or pathologic complete response after six courses of paclitaxel/platinum–based chemotherapy were randomly allocated to either observation (ie, control) or six courses of paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every 3 weeks (ie, maintenance). Results Two hundred patients were randomly assigned from March 1999 to July 2006. Because of the low accrual rate, an unplanned interim analysis of futility according to the Bayesian approach was performed. Grade 2 or greater motor neurotoxicity and sensory neurotoxicity were reported in 11.3% and 28.0% of the paclitaxel-arm patients, respectively. After a median follow-up of 43.5 months, 107 patients (53%) had experienced relapse, and 48 patients (24%) had died. Two-year progression-free...