Klin Onkol 1995; 8(6): 177-182.
Summary: Twenty patients suffering from ovarian carcinomas, stages III and IV FIGO, have been treated with chemotherapy consisting of 135 mg/m2 paclitaxel given in 3-hour infusions, and carboplatin 7.5 AUC given in 30-minute infusions at three week intervals. Chemotherapy was administered after prophylaxis with dexamethasone (20 mg p. os. or i. v. 14 and 7 hours before chemotherapy), clemastinum (2 mg i. v. 30 minutes before), and cimetidin (300 mg i. v. 30 minutes before chemotherapy). One hundred cycles were administered. No serious hypersensitivity reactions were noted. Leukopenias of grade III and IV after 11 % and 1 % of the cycles, and neutropenia of grade III and IV after 7 and 11 percent of the cycle represented the principle hematological toxicity. Anaemia and thrombocytopenia reached a maximum of grade II. Fevers were noted in 8% of patients, but only 6% were between 38 and 40 degress Centigrade. Febrile neutropenias were found after 5% of the cycles. Face and upper chest flushing were noted after 55% and 13%, respectively, of cycles and occurred mostly on the second day. Transient artralgias and myalgias were found in 60% of cycles from the second to the fifth day. Neuropathies occurred in 14% of cycles. All patients suffered from alopecia. No serious gastrointestinal toxicity appeared except for one mild case which was noted in 8%. Paclitaxel prolonged the RR interval on ECG curves in 84% of cases. No serious bradycardia (less than or 40 beats per minute) was noted, however. Blood pressure changes were present in 47% of cases (12 decreases and 35 increases). There was no life-threatening toxicity caused by paclitaxel in our group of patients. Chemotherapy of paclitaxel and carboplatin, when administered at the dose and rate suggested, is effective and provides acceptable levels of toxicity.
