Second-Line Chemo For Ovarian Cancer

The OncologyChannel Website reports that, at the present time, only two drugs - hexamethylamine (Hexalen®, altretamine) and topotecan hydrochloride (Hycamtin™) - have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as second-line, or "salvage," agents in ovarian cancer (for example, metastatic ovarian cancer patients in whom initial or subsequent chemotherapy with paclitaxel and cisplatin has failed).

The following drugs are the most common "second-line" treatment options for ovarian cancer:

Adriamycin®, Rubex® Doxorubicin
Doxil® doxorubicin HCl liposome injection
Hexalen® Altretamine; hexamethylmelamine
Hycamtin™ Topotecan hydrochloride
Ifex® Ifosfamide
VePesid® Etoposide (VP-16)
5-FU 5-fluorouracil

Paclitaxel (Taxol®), a taxane compound, is the treatment of choice in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients who have not received prior taxane therapy. If the individual's tumor continues to grow after paclitaxel therapy, several other drugs may be considered, such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus leucovorin (a drug used to counteract folic acid antagonists), doxorubicin HCl liposome injection (Doxil®) ifosfamide (Ifex®), oral etoposide (VP-16; VePesid®), and investigational drugs in phase II studies.

There have been a number of improvements in chemotherapy for ovarian cancer since I was diagnosed and treated in 2001. I endured six difficult months of treatment. A patient with a similar diagnosis today might only have to deal with three months of treatment. Doses also tend to be lower, as oncologists use multiple combinations of chemo drugs. Still, progress has been slow and more can always be done.
Feel good and keep smiling! There is always hope! Pattie