Incorporation of paclitaxel-based hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with advanced-stage ovarian cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery: a protocol-based pilot study

• Published in: Journal of gynecologic oncology Vol. 30; no. 1; p. e3
• Main Authors: Lee, Yong Jae, Lee, Jung Yun, Cho, Min Soo, Nam, Eun Ji, Kim, Sang Wun, Kim, Sunghoon, Kim, Young Tae
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Asian Society of Gynecologic Oncology; Korean Society of Gynecologic Oncology 01-01-2019; 대한부인종양학회
• Subjects: Original; 산부인과학; Ovarian Neoplasms; Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy; Surgery; Drug Therapy; Paclitaxel
• ISSN: 2005-0380; 2005-0399
• DOI: 10.3802/jgo.2019.30.e3

We conducted a protocol-based cohort study to evaluate the outcomes of interval debulking surgery (IDS) followed by paclitaxel-based hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) for the treatment of advanced-stage ovarian cancer.
From October 2015 to May 2018, 65 patients with stages IIIC-IV ovarian cancer were treated according to the study protocol. HIPEC was performed with paclitaxel (175 mg/m²) for 90 minutes, only in cases of optimal cytoreduction.
Of 65 patients, 40 (61.5%) patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), 34 (52.3%) patients had a high tumor burden with a Fagotti score ≥8 at diagnostic laparoscopy, and 6 (9.2%) had definite stage IV metastasis and/or poor performance status before NAC. Twenty-seven (41.5%) patients underwent IDS followed by HIPEC. The mean duration of IDS with HIPEC was 543.8 (range, 277.0-915.0) minutes. Grade III/IV perioperative complications occurred in 7.4% (n=2)/3.7% (n=1) of patients and no cases of mortality were reported within 30 days postoperatively. The median progression-free survival was 21.3 months, and the median overall survival was not reached for those who received HIPEC.
According to our study protocol, IDS followed by paclitaxel-based HIPEC as a first-line treatment appears to be feasible and safe for the treatment of advanced-stage ovarian cancer. Further evaluations of this procedure are required to assess its survival benefits.