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Continuous Low-Dose Oral Cyclophosphamide and Methotrexate as Maintenance Therapy in Patients With Advanced Ovarian Carcinoma After Complete Clinical Response to Platinum and Paclitaxel Chemotherapy
  1. Khalid El-Husseiny, MD*,
  2. Helmy Motawei, MD and
  3. Mohamad Sayed Ali, MD
  1. *Departments of Clinical Oncology, and
  2. Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ain Shams University Hospitals, Cairo, Egypt.
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Khalid El-Husseiny, MD, Department of Clinical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Khalifa El-Maamon St, Abbasiya Square 11566, Cairo, Egypt. E-mail: Khaliden69@hotmail.com.

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of continuous, low dose of oral, metronomic chemotherapy as maintenance therapy in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma after complete clinical response to platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods In this nonrandomized study, patients older than 18 years, with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status less than 2, with advanced ovarian carcinoma after complete clinical response to platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy were enrolled in 2 arms—arm A (maintenance arm), treated with continuous low-dose oral cyclophosphamide 50 mg and methotrexate 2.5 mg, and arm B (observation arm). Both arms were followed up for progression-free survival and toxicity.

Results Thirty patients were accrued in each arm from January 2009 to December 2010 in Ain Shams University Hospitals, where they received the treatment and followed up for disease progression and toxicity. Patients had a median age of 53 years in maintenance arm and 52.5 years in the observational arm, respectively. Over 80% had papillary serous adenocarcinoma, and over 40% of them had a stage IV disease in both arms. After median follow-up of 27 months, patients achieved median progression-free survival of 18 months in maintenance arm (A) and 15.5 months in observational arm (B), respectively. Toxicity profile was excellent with no grade 3 or 4 toxicity reported.

Conclusions Current study may provide an evidence of efficacy and tolerability of continuous low-dose oral cyclophosphamide and methotrexate as a maintenance therapy in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma after complete clinical response to platinum and paclitaxel chemotherapy.

  • Cancer ovary
  • Metronomic chemotherapy
  • Methotrexate

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Footnotes

  • The authors declare no conflicts of interest.