Long-term follow-up confirms a survival advantage of the paclitaxel-cisplatin regimen over the cyclophosphamide-cisplatin combination in advanced ovarian cancer.
Two independent and consecutive randomized clinical trials, conducted by the American Gynecological Oncology Group and by an European-Canadian Intergroup, have shown superiority, in clinical response rate, progression-free survival, and overall survival, of a cisplatin-paclitaxel regimen over cisplatin-cyclophosphamide given as first-line chemotherapy for women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. The results of these studies, published with a median follow-up of about 3 years, have been updated with a 6.5-year follow-up: In each case, an 11% absolute gain in survival favoring the paclitaxel arm is shown; this advantage remains both statistically and clinically significant and supports a role for paclitaxel in frontline chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer.