Table of Contents
In 2006, gemcitabine (Gemzar) was approved as a treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer. It is used in combination with carboplatin for women with advanced ovarian cancer that has relapsed at least 6 months after initial therapy. Other drugs used for recurrent ovarian cancer include doxorubicin (Adriamycin, Doxil), etoposide (Vepesid), and vinorelbine (Navelbine).
Hormonal therapy is also an option for patients who cannot tolerate or who have not been helped by chemotherapy. Hormonal therapy drugs include tamoxifen (Nolvadex), and aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole (Femara), anastrozole (Arimidex), and exemestane (Aromasin).
Administration of Chemotherapy
In general, the typical initial chemotherapy regimen is:
- Paclitaxel and carboplatin are administered in an outpatient clinic within several weeks of the surgery.
- Each treatment takes about 4 - 5 hours to complete.
- It is repeated every 3 weeks for a total of six times. (Each 3-week interval is known as a cycle of chemotherapy.)
Chemotherapy is either administered intravenously (by vein) or intraperitoneally (through the abdominal cavity). Recent research has indicated that patients with stage III ovarian cancer who receive intraperitoneal chemotherapy have a significant survival advantage compared with patients who receive standard intravenous chemotherapy. However, intraperitoneal chemotherapy can cause more severe side effects, including abdominal pain and bowel damage. Some patients cannot tolerate intraperiotenal chemotherapy. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy requires careful catheter insertion and maintenance, and doctors need to be well trained to perform this procedure.
Side Effects of Chemotherapy
Side effects occur with all chemotherapy drugs. They are more severe with higher doses and increase over the course of treatment. Some may be long-lasting.
Common side effects may include:
- Nausea and vomiting. Drugs known as serotonin antagonists, especially ondansetron (Zofran), can relieve these side effects in nearly all patients given moderate drugs and most patients who take more powerful drugs.
- Diarrhea
- Temporary hair loss
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Depression
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Review Date: 11/04/2010
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical
School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by
David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
