Oral altretamine used as salvage therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer.

Author(s): Chan JK, Loizzi V, Manetta A, Berman ML

Affiliation(s): Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5317, USA.

Publication date & source: 2004-01, Gynecol Oncol., 92(1):368-71.

Publication type: Case Reports

BACKGROUND: Altretamine has reported efficacy in the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer following platinum-based therapy. This report presents the cases of two long-term survivors with recurrent ovarian cancer given oral altretamine. CASES: Two patients diagnosed with stage IIIC ovarian cancer underwent optimal cytoreductive surgery. Both women were subsequently treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. One had persistent cancer documented 2 months post therapy, while the other was disease-free for 22 months before recurring. Both received altretamine in a salvage setting. Each of these women achieved a prolonged response to third-line altretamine therapy, and one of whom was disease-free for 4 years and the other remains disease-free over 7 years following initiation of salvage therapy. CONCLUSION: Outpatient-administered oral altretamine can provide a prolonged disease-free interval with minimal toxicity.