Chin Med J (Taipei) 1998;61:S38.

Recent Advance of Chemotherapy for Patients with Ovarian Cancer in Japan

Naohiko Umesaki. M.D., Ph.D.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Osaka City University Medical School

Abstract

The frequency of occurrence of ovarian cancer is increasing and the death rate has surpassed that for cervical cancer in Japan. Therefore, ovarian cancer has become the most important target among gynecological malignancies. The introduction of cisplatin (CDDP) in chemotherapy for ovarian cancer was epoch making, since it is effective for epithelia] ovarian cancers, such as serouscyst and endometrioid adenocarcinoma. However, new problems have arisen. One is that CDDP therapy has not led to prolonged survival, although the initial response was very high. Another problem is the low sensitivity of CDDP to clear cell and mucinouscyst adenocarcinoma. Finally, the mechanism of drug resistance to CDDP remains unclear.

In this talk, I will deal with the present status of chemotherapeutic methods for patients with ovarian cancer in Japan, the clinical efficacy of irinotecan (CPT- 11), a new chemotherapeutic agent developed in Japan, especially for clear cell adenocarcinoma which has a low sensitivity to CDDP, the involvement of GST-π in resistance to CDDP, and the role of intermittent CDDP therapy in the prolongation of survival of advanced ovarian cancer patients.

[Chin Med J (Taipei) 1998;61:S38.]