Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Management of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with the combination of pemetrexed and gemcitabine

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
Clinical and Translational Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction

Platinum resistant ovarian cancer is a current challenge in Oncology. Current approved therapies offer no more of a 20% of response. New therapeutic options are urgently needed.

Patients and Methods

Patients were treated with the combination of Pemetrexed 500 mg/m2 d1 and Gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 d1, 8 in a 21 days basis.

Results

10 platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients were treated under compassionate use. Mean previous chemotherapy lines were 3.3. Mean administered cycles were 4. Mean CA 125 decrease was on average of 47%, with one patient experiencing a 95% decrease in her CA 125 level. 1 patient had a complete clinical remission, and 2, had partial radiological responses. Mean Progression free survival was 16.5 weeks, and Overall Survival was 21.2 weeks. Treatment was well tolerated.

Conclusions

Deemd to the observed activity, the combination of Pemetrexed and Gemcitabine deserves deeper investigation in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jemal A, Siegel R, Ward E et al (2007) Cancer statistics, 2007. CA Cancer J Clin 57:43–66

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Markman M, Markman J, Webster K et al (2004) Duration of response to second-line, platinumbased chemotherapy for ovarian cancer: implications for patient management and clinical trial design. J Clin Oncol 22:3120

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Slayton RE, Creasman WT, Petty W et al (1979) Phase II trial of VP-16-213 in the treatment of advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix and adenocarcinoma of the ovary: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study. Cancer Treat Rep 63:2089

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Rose PG, Blessing JA, Mayer AR, Homesley HD (1998) Prolonged oral etoposide as second-line therapy for platinum-resistant and platinum-sensitive ovarian carcinoma: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study. J Clin Oncol 16:405

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Muggia FM, Hainsworth JD, Jeffers S et al (1997) Phase II study of liposomal doxorubicin in refractory ovarian cancer: antitumor activity and toxicity modification by liposomal encapsulation. J Clin Oncol 15:987

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gordon AN, Fleagle JT, Guthrie D et al (2001) Recurrent epithelial ovarian carcinoma: a randomized phase III study of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin versus topotecan. J Clin Oncol 19:3312

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Clarke-Pearson DL, Van Le L, Iveson T et al (2001) Oral topotecan as single-agent second-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. J Clin Oncol 19:3967

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hochster H, Wadler S, Runowicz C et al (1999) Activity and pharmacodynamics of 21-Day topotecan infusion in patients with ovarian cancer previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. New York Gynecologic Oncology Group. J Clin Oncol 17:2553

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Friedlander M, Millward MJ, Bell D et al (1998) A phase II study of gemcitabine in platinum pretreated patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. Ann Oncol 9:1343

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Lund B, Hansen OP, Theilade K et al (1994) Phase II study of gemcitabine (2′,2′-difluorodeoxycytidine) in previously treated ovarian cancer patients. J Natl Cancer Inst 86:1530

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Sorensen P, Hoyer M, Jakobsen A et al (2001) Phase II study of vinorelbine in the treatment of platinum-resistant ovarian carcinoma. Gynecol Oncol 81:58

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Rothenberg ML, Liu PY, Nahhas WA et al (1999) A phase II trial of vinorelbine in relapsed and refractory ovarian cancer. A Southwest Oncology Group study (SWOG-9324) (abstract). Proc Am Soc Clin Oncol 18:383a

    Google Scholar 

  13. Markman M, Kennedy A, Sutton G et al (1998) Phase 2 trial of single agent ifosfamide/mesna in patients with platinum/paclitaxel refractory ovarian cancer who have not previously been treated with an alkylating agent. Gynecol Oncol 70:272

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Baur M, Fazeny-Doerner B, Hudec M et al (2006) Ifosfamide/mesna as salvage therapy in platinum pretreated ovarian cancer patients — long-term results of a phase II study. Cancer Invest 24:22

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Look KY, Muss HB, Blessing JA, Morris M (1995) A phase II trial of 5-fluorouracil and highdose leucovorin in recurrent epithelial ovarian car cinoma. A Gynecologic Oncology Group Study. Am J Clin Oncol 18:19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Williams CJ (2001) Tamoxifen for relapse of ovarian cancer (Cochrane Review). Cochrane Database Syst Rev 1:CD001034

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Markman M, Iseminger KA, Hatch KD et al (1996) Tamoxifen in platinum-refractory ovarian cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Ancillary Report. Gynecol Oncol 62:4

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Smyth JF, Gourley C, Walker G et al (2007) Antiestrogen therapy is active in selected ovarian cancer cases: the use of letrozole in estrogen receptor-positive patients. Clin Cancer Res 13:3617

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Burger RA, Sill MW, Monk BJ et al (2007) Phase II trial of bevacizumab in persistent or recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study. J Clin Oncol 25:5165

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Cannistra SA, Matulonis UA, Penson RT et al (2007) Phase II study of bevacizumab in patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer or peritoneal serous cancer. J Clin Oncol 25:5180

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Chura JC, Van Iseghem K, Downs LS Jr et al (2007) Bevacizumab plus cyclophosphamide in heavily pretreated patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Gynecol Oncol 107:326

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wright JD, Hagemann A, Rader JS et al (2006) Bevacizumab combination therapy in recurrent, platinum-refractory, epithelial ovarian carcinoma: a retrospective analysis. Cancer 107:83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Han ES, Monk BJ (2007) What is the risk of bowel perforation associated with bevacizumab therapy in ovarian cancer? Gynecol Oncol 105:3

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Lordick F, Geinitz H, Theisen J et al (2006) Increased risk of ischemic bowel complications during treatment with bevacizumab after pelvic irradiation: report of three cases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 64:1295

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Shih C, Chen VJ, Gossett LS, et al (1997) LY231514, a pyrrolo [2,3-d]pyrimidine-based antifolate that inhibits multiple folate requiring enzymes. Cancer Res 57:1116–1123

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Zhao R, Babani S, Gao F et al (2000) The mechanism of transport of the multitargeted antifolate MTA-LY231514, and its cross-resistance pattern in cell with impaired transport of methotrexed. Clin Cancer Res 6: 3687–3695

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Shepherd FA, Dancey J, Arnold A et al (2001) Phase II study of pemetrexed disodium, a multitargeted antifolate, and cisplatin as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small cell lung carcinoma: a study of the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group. Cancer 92: 595–600

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Dean-Colomb W, Esteva FJ (2008) Emerging agents in the treatment of anthracycline- and taxane-refractory metastatic breast cancer. Semin Oncol 35[2 Suppl 2]:S31–S38; quiz S40

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Galsky MD, Mironov S, Iasonos A et al (2007) Phase II trial of pemetrexed as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma. Invest New Drugs 25:265–270

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Paz-Ares L, Ciruelos E, García-Carbonero R et al (2002) Pemetrexed in bladder, head and neck, and cervical cancers. Semin Oncol 29[6 Suppl 18]:69–75

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Smith I (2004) Phase II studies of pemetrexed in metastatic breast and gynecologic cancers. Oncology (Williston Park) 18[13 Suppl 8]:63–65

    Google Scholar 

  32. Ceresoli GL, Castagneto B, Zucali PA et al (2008) Pemetrexed plus carboplatin in elderly patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: combined analysis of two phase II trials. Br J Cancer 99:51–56

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Teicher BA, Alvarez E, Liu P et al (1999) MTA (LY231514) in combination treatment regimens using human tumor xenografts and the EMT-6 mu rine mammary carcinoma. Semin Oncol 26[Suppl 6]:55–62

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Tonkinson J, Worzalla JF, Teng ChH, Mendelsohn LG (1999) Cell cycle modulation by a multitargeted antifolate, LY231514, increases the cytotoxicity and antitumor activity of gemcitabine in HT29 colon carcinoma. Cancer Res 59:3671–3676

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Nagai S, Takenaka K, Sonobe M et al (2008) Schedule-dependent synergistic effect of pemetrexed combined with gemcitabine against malignant pleural mesothelioma and non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. Chemotherapy 54:166–175

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Adjei AA, Erichman C, Sloan JA et al (2000) Phase I and pharmacologic study of sequences of gemcitabine and the multitargeted antifolate agent in patients with solid tumors. J Clin Oncol 18: 1748–1757

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Mey V, Giovannetti E, De Braud F et al (2006) In vitro synergistic cytotoxicity of gemcitabine and pemetrexed and pharmacogenetic evaluation of response to gemcitabine in bladder cancer patients. Br J Cancer 95:289–297

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Giovannetti E, Mey V, Danesi R et al (2004) Synergistic cytotoxicity and pharmacogenetics of gemcitabine and pemetrexed combination in pancreatic cancer cell lines. Clin Cancer Res 10:2936–2943

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Smith I (2004) Phase II studies of pemetrexed in metastatic breast and gynecologic cancers. Oncology (Williston Park) 18:63–65

    Google Scholar 

  40. Kalykaki A, Vamvakas L, Agelaki S et al (2006) A dose escalation study of gemcitabine plus pemetrexed administered biweekly in patients with solid tumors. Oncology 71:197–203

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Hensley ML, Derosa F, Gers SR et al (2006) A phase I study of pemetrexed (P) plus gemcitabine (G) in relapsed ovarian cancer (OC): dosing results and evidence of activity. J Clin Oncol 24 [Suppl]:5083

    Google Scholar 

  42. Therasse P, Arbuck SG, Eisenhauer EA et al (2000) New guidelines to evaluate the response to treatment in solid tumors: European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer, National Cancer Institute of the United States, National Cancer Institute of Canada. J Natl Cancer Inst 92:205–216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Rustin GJ, Bast RC Jr, Kelloff GJ et al (2004) Use of CA-125 in clinical trial evaluation of new therapeutic drugs for ovarian cancer. Clin Cancer Res 10:3919–3926

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Fung-Kee-Fung M, Oliver T, Elit L et al (2007) Optimal chemotherapy treatment for women with recurrent ovarian cancer. Curr Oncol 14:195–208

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joan Manel Gasent Blesa.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gasent Blesa, J.M., Alberola Candel, V., Provencio Pulla, M. et al. Management of platinum-resistant ovarian cancer with the combination of pemetrexed and gemcitabine. Clin Transl Oncol 11, 35–40 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-009-0308-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-009-0308-z

Keywords

Navigation