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Uterine Cancer
A Phase II Trial of Paclitaxel and Carboplatin in Women With Advanced or Recurrent Uterine Carcinosarcoma
  1. Robin A. Lacour, MD, MPH*,
  2. Elizabeth Euscher, MD†,
  3. E. Neely Atkinson, PhD‡,
  4. Charlotte C. Sun, MPH, DrPH, BA§,
  5. Pedro T. Ramirez, MD§,
  6. Robert L. Coleman, MD§,
  7. Jubilee Brown, MD§,
  8. Jacalyn B. Gano, MSW, BS, AS§,
  9. Thomas W. Burke, MD∥ and
  10. Lois Michelle Ramondetta, MD§
  1. *Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Louisiana State University Health Science Center at Shreveport, LA; and Departments of
  2. †Pathology,
  3. ‡Biostatistics, and
  4. §Gynecologic Oncology and
  5. ∥Office of the Executive Vice President, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX.
  1. Address correspondence and reprint requests to Lois Michelle Ramondetta, MD, Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Unit 1362, 1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030. E-mail: lramonde{at}mdanderson.org.

Abstract

Background Systemic therapy for advanced uterine carcinosarcoma (CS) has been disappointing. The most widely studied regimen is ifosfamide and cisplatinum. Moderate success has been documented using paclitaxel in ovarian CS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate carboplatin/paclitaxel in advanced and recurrent uterine CS.

Methods A single-arm, prospective, phase II trial opened in October 2001. Primary end points were time to progression (TTP) and response rate (RR). Quality-of-life data were obtained. Patients treated adjuvantly received 6 cycles of carboplatin/paclitaxel every 21 days. Patients with disease at study entry were treated until response, progression, or toxicity.

Results Of 23 patients enrolled, 9 received adjuvant treatment, 13 had documented disease, 1 was inevaluable. Eight of 13 patients with measurable disease had a complete or partial response (62% RR). Overall, median TTP was 9.5 months. In the adjuvant group, median TTP was 15 months. With measurable disease, median TTP was 7.9 months. Median overall survival was 21.1 months. There was no difference in survival between patients with or without measurable disease. For patients having prior radiation, median TTP with recurrence in the radiated field was 13.3 months, and 14.5 months if outside the field (P = 0.71). Two patients (9%) had treatment-limiting toxicity. Quality-of-life scores improved from baseline over time.

Conclusions Carboplatin and paclitaxel have improved tolerability and RR (62%) compared with previous reports of ifosfamide/cisplatin or ifosfamide/paclitaxel in treating uterine CS. This regimen seems promising and should be considered in combined therapies with targeted agents.

  • Carcinosarcoma
  • Uterine
  • Carboplatin
  • Paclitaxel

https://doi.org/10.1097/IGC.0b013e31820da9e2

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    Footnotes

    • This research is supported in part by the National Institutes of Health through M. D. Anderson's Cancer Center support grant CA016672.