Femara® Effective Palliation for ER-Positive Ovarian Cancer
Researchers from the UK have reported that Femara (letrozole) treatment of ER-positive ovarian cancer results in a 17% response rate and a 26% disease stabilization rate based on CA125. The details of this study appeared in the June 15, 2007 issue of Clinical Cancer Research.
Patients with relapsed and/or refractory ovarian cancer have few non-toxic options for palliation. Researchers in this study sought to determine the effectiveness of anti-estrogen therapy in women who had estrogen receptor-positive disease. In 42 patients who could be evaluated by CA125, 17% had a greater than 50% decreasein case 5 levels. An additional 26% had disease stabilization and non-progressing CA125 levels. The average time to achieving maximum response was 4 months. In 33 patients, 9% had a radiological response and 42% had stable disease. They also reported that 26% of patients had a progression-free survival greater than 6 months. Responses were related to the immunoscore for estrogen receptor with a 33% response at the high end and 0% response at the low end.
Comments: This is an important study as it offers relatively non-toxic palliation for some patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma.
Reference:
[1] Smyth JF, Gourley C, Walker G, et al. Antiestrogen therapy is active in selective ovarian cancer cases: The use of letrozole in estrogen receptor – positive patients. Clinical Cancer Research. 2007; 13:3617-3622.
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