Complete remission of recurrent and refractory ovarian cancers using weekly administration of bevacizumab and gemcitabine/oxaliplatin: report of two cases

Background: A combination therapy with gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (GEMOX) yielded a moderate activity in platinum-resistant ovarian cancers; however, frequent severe toxicities, such as thrombocytopenia and neurotoxicity, were observed. A certain modification of schedule might therefore facilitate the clinical application of the regimen. The authors report two cases that achieved complete response to a weekly administration of bevacizumab and GEMOX. Materials and Methods: Two patients with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancers received a weekly regimen of GEMOX with bevacizumab: 2 mg/kg of bevacizumab, 300 mg/m2 of gemcitabine, and 30 mg/m2 of oxaliplatin, three weeks on and one week off, Q4 weeks. Complete remission was observed after three to four courses of therapy. Hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities more than grade 2 were not observed during chemotherapy. The patients are now without tumor progression more than 12 months after initiation of therapy. Conclusion: Weekly administration of bevacizumab and GEMOX had potential activity in recurrent and refractory ovarian carcinomas. These findings warrant necessity of further trial in such clinical settings.

Ovarian cancer; Recurrence; Weekly therapy; Bevacizumab; Gemcitabine/oxaliplatin.

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