Short-Infusion Trabectedin in Heavily Pretreated Ovarian Cancer Patients: A Single-Institution Experience

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of trabectedin given every 10 days as a single agent in recurrent ovarian cancer after 3 prior regimens. Method: Trabectedin 0.6 mg/m2 was administered as a 3-h infusion every 10 days on a 21-day cycle. The study population was compared to patients treated with weekly paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1, 8, 15, and 22 every 4 weeks. Results: We identified 34 patients previously submitted to at least 3 lines of chemotherapy who received single-agent trabectedin between 2010 and 2015. They were matched with a historical series of 34 patients who received weekly paclitaxel. No significant differences in response rate were found. Median progression-free survival was 4 months; 5 months in the trabectedin group and 4 months in the paclitaxel group. Overall survival (OS) was 13 months for the trabectedin group and 7 months for the paclitaxel group (p = 0.015). Patients who received platinum after trabectedin had a significant OS increase compared to those who received platinum after paclitaxel (18 vs. 9 months, respectively; p = 0.009). The most frequent drug-related grade 3/4 toxicities were reversible hepatic toxicity, neutropenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and gastrointestinal toxicity. Conclusion: Single-agent trabectedin every 10 days is an active treatment with a manageable toxicity profile in heavily pretreated advanced relapsed ovarian cancer patients.