A higher number of chemotherapy cycles does not improve outcomes for ovarian cancer patients, according to a study published in Gynecologic Oncology.
Researchers identified all cases of stage I and II ovarian clear cell carcinoma treated at five institutions from January 1994 through December 2011. Patients were divided into 2 groups — those who received three cycles of adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy with or without taxane and those who underwent six cycles. Among 210 eligible patients, 38 patients received three cycles, while 172 patients received six cycles.
The study shows that recurrence rates were comparable between the groups. The three-cycle group had a recurrence rate of 18.4 percent, while the six-cycle group had a recurrence rate of 27.3 percent. There was no impact of three cycles versus six cycles of chemotherapy on progression-free and overall survival between the groups, either.