Prolonged stabilization of platinum/paclitaxel-refractory ovarian cancer with topotecan: a case report and review of the literature

A combination of a paclitaxel and platinum analog is currently the standard first-line chemotherapy for women with ovarian cancer, with response rates of 20-37%. As patients who relapse have a poor prognosis and treatment options are limited, there is an urgent need to develop new agents with novel mechanisms of action for use as a second-line, non-cross-resistant chemotherapy in ovarian cancer. In this report, we describe a patient with platinum/paclitaxel-refractory ovarian cancer who received topotecan and reached long-term stabilization of her disease. The patient was administered 1.5 mg/m2 topotecan for five days in 17 cycles. She was also given granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) support to prevent severe granulocytopenia; no hematologic toxic effect was experienced. Her quality of life was good throughout the treatment, and also her daily activities were unaffected.