Weekly paclitaxel in the management of ovarian cancer.

The weekly administration of paclitaxel has the potential to increase the effectiveness of this cycle-specific agent against slowly growing solid tumors. Clinical evaluation has confirmed that paclitaxel can be safely delivered on a weekly schedule as a 1-hour infusion, with objective responses being observed in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Limited data suggest that the schedule may also possess activity against tumors previously demonstrated to be resistant to paclitaxel-containing regimens delivered on an every-3-week schedule. Ongoing trials in ovarian cancer are examining the clinical utility of this approach as a second-line treatment option in carefully defined paclitaxel-resistant disease and as a consolidation strategy in high-risk, early stage disease following initial therapy with a carboplatin/paclitaxel combination regimen.