Article Text
Abstract
Introduction Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC) continues one of the leading causes of cancer related mortality. The expenses of developing new drug and using the existing targeted therapies are enormous, in addition to their adverse effects on the quality of life of EOC patients. Here in, comes the value of ‘drug repositioning/repurposing’. This study was designed to assess the role of non-chemotherapeutic combination of easily available and affordable drugs as maintenance therapy, after standard treatment, for advanced EOC and to determine the RFS and CSS.
Methods 100 women with advanced high grade EOC who had completed standard treatment by primary/interval debulking surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy were randomised to either receive (study group) or not to receive (control group) the non-chemotherapeutic maintenance therapy (oral Metformin, Anastrazole, Aspirin, Atorvastatin, Vitamin-D, Injection.Zoledronic acid). Both groups were followed up and trends of RFS and CSS were analysed.
Results 100 patients were analysed. Median RFS was 18 months (95% CI: 13–24) in study group versus 16 (95% CI: 14–20) in the control group (P-value = 0.57). Median CSS in the study group was lesser than that in the control group [47 months (95% CI: 31–68) versus 51 (95% CI: 32–66), P-value= 0.76]. 5-year CSS was not significantly different between the groups (47% study vs 40% control, P-value = 0.51).
Conclusion The use of combination of non-chemotherapeutic drugs as maintenance therapy was found to have no significant impact on the survival or reduction of recurrences in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.