Duration of chemotherapy with topotecan influences survival in recurrent ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis compares the feasibility, safety and clinical outcome of long-term therapy with topotecan vs. standard treatment duration in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

Materials And Methods: Data of 523 patients from five clinical trials were reviewed and retrospectively allocated into two groups.

Topotecan therapy in patients with relapsed small-cell lung cancer and poor performance status.

Purpose: Topotecan is generally well tolerated and active in patients with relapsed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and poor performance status (PS). In this study, we investigated whether treatment with topotecan is associated with improvement in PS as measured by the rate of conversion from PS 2 to PS 0/1.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of data from 7 clinical trials (N = 795) investigating topotecan in patients with relapsed SCLC was performed.

A new therapeutical approach: topotecan plus gemcitabine in the treatment of patients with relapsed ovarian cancer after failure of first-line chemotherapy with paclitaxel and platinum.

Aim: Topotecan and gemcitabine have demonstrated mono-activity against recurrent ovarian cancer. Both drugs affect DNA replication; in addition, topotecan inhibits DNA repair. Based on the efficacy profiles and different mechanisms of action, a phase-I study was conducted to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of topotecan (day 1-5) and the dose-limiting toxicities (DLT) in combination with gemcitabine (day 1 + 8) every 21 days.