A pilot study of cisplatin, ifosfamide and mesna in the treatment of malignant mixed mesodermal tumors of the ovary

Ovarian carcinosarcoma: Current developments and future perspectives

Ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) constitute uncommon malignancies accounting for only 1-4% of ovarian cancers. Patients more often present with advanced stage disease and symptoms similar to those of epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC). Optimal tumor cytoreduction appears to be an important determinant of survival. Platinum-based chemotherapy remains the most commonly employed adjuvant treatment. The uncertain origin and poor prognosis of OCS motivate determination of the molecular basis of carcinosarcomas aggressive behavior in the hope of developing novel and effective treatment modalities. The present review summarizes the current knowledge on the epidemiology, pathology, prognostic factors, clinical presentation, and therapeutic interventions including future potential therapeutic targets.

"Carcinosarcoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum: Prognostic factors and treatment modalities"

OBJECTIVE

Ovarian carcinosarcoma (OCS) is a rare malignancy accounting for only 1-4% of all ovarian cancers. The treatment of OCS is largely based on data from small case series and management of other histologic subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer. We reviewed the literature pertinent to the pathology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of women with OCS.

METHODS

MEDLINE was searched in English for literature on OCS, focusing on the past 30years. Given the rarity of this tumor, studies were not limited by design or number of reported patients.

RESULTS

Molecular, epidemiologic, genetic, and histologic data indicate that most OCS are monoclonal. Patients with OCS generally present with advanced stage disease. Most of the available retrospective studies support the role of cytoreductive surgery in the management of OCS, with optimal debulking associated with improved survival. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the current accepted adjuvant treatment. Given the limited data regarding the management of recurrent OCS, patients are usually treated similarly to women diagnosed with other subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSION

OCS represent a rare and aggressive histologic subtype of epithelial ovarian cancer. The goal of surgery is comprehensive staging in patients with early-stage disease and optimal cytoreduction patients with advanced-stage tumors. Platinum-based chemotherapy is the mainstay of adjuvant systemic treatment. Future studies are needed in order to elucidate the molecular basis for OCS and to evaluate the role of targeted therapy in its management.

Conventional chemotherapy and oncogenic pathway targeting in ovarian carcinosarcoma using a patient-derived tumorgraft

Ovarian carcinosarcoma is a rare subtype of ovarian cancer with poor clinical outcomes. The low incidence of this disease makes accrual to large clinical trials challenging. However, studies have shown that treatment responses in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models correlate with matched-patient responses in the clinic, supporting their use for preclinical testing of standard and novel therapies. An ovarian carcinosarcoma PDX is presented herein and showed resistance to carboplatin and paclitaxel (similar to the patient) but exhibited significant sensitivity to ifosfamide and paclitaxel. The PDX demonstrated overexpression of EGFR mRNA and gene amplification by array comparative genomic hybridization (log2 ratio 0.399). EGFR phosphorylation was also detected. Angiogensis and insulin-like growth factor pathways were also implicated by overexpression of VEGFC and IRS1. In order to improve response to chemotherapy, the PDX was treated with carboplatin/paclitaxel with or without a pan-HER and VEGF inhibitor (BMS-690514) but there was no tumor growth inhibition or improved animal survival, which may be explained by a KRAS mutation. Resistance was also observed when the IGF-1R inhibitor BMS-754807 was combined with carboplatin/paclitaxel. Because poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors have activity in ovarian cancer patients, with and without BRCA mutations, ABT-888 was also tested but found to have no activity. Pathogenic mutations were also detected in TP53 and PIK3CA. In conclusion, ifosfamide/paclitaxel was superior to carboplatin/paclitaxel in this ovarian carcinosarcoma PDX and gene overexpression or amplification alone was not sufficient to predict response to targeted therapy. Better predictive markers of response are needed.

Primary Treatment and Prognostic Factors of Carcinosarcoma of the Ovary, Fallopian Tube, and Peritoneum: A Taiwanese Gynecologic Oncology Group Study

Objective

This study aimed to determine the clinical prognostic factors involved in carcinosarcoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum.

Materials and Methods

This retrospective study was undertaken by the Taiwanese Gynecologic Oncology Group. The retrieved clinical data included demographic characteristics, medical disease, tumor status, extent of surgery, and adjuvant chemotherapy.

Results

In total, 63 patients with carcinosarcoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum were identified. Sixty-one patients with complete data were enrolled for further data analysis. The mean follow-up period was 1.0 year, and the mean overall survival was 15.4 months. By log-rank tests, age, menopausal status, parity, hypertension, diabetes, primary tumor size, para-aortic lymph node metastasis, pretreatment CA-125, preceding diagnostic surgery, hysterectomy, lymphadenectomy, other surgeries, and paclitaxel use were not predictive of overall survival.

Omentectomy, no gross residual implants after surgery, platinum treatment, and no pelvic lymph node metastasis had a trend toward better survival. Early diagnosis at stage I and cisplatin/ifosfamide regimen were significant associated with a better overall survival in log-rank and simple Cox regression tests. Bilateral ovarian tumors and metastatic tumors larger than 2 cm were significantly associated with a poorer overall survival.

Conclusions

Early diagnosis at stage I, unilateral ovarian tumor, metastatic tumors less than 2 cm, and cisplatin/ifosfamide regimen were predictive of a better survival.

Omentectomy and complete debulking surgery also showed a trend toward better survival. Thus, these treatment strategies should be applied in patients with carcinosarcoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, and peritoneum.

Phase II study of ifosfamide and cisplatin for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer

PURPOSE

The aim of this phase II study was to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of combined ifosfamide and cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Forty-seven patients with recurrent EOC were treated with ifosfamide 5 g/m(2) and cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) on day 1, every 3 weeks for 6 cycles. The primary outcomes were response rate (RR) and toxicity. Other measurements were duration of response, time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

All 47 patients with 160 cycles were assessed for response and toxicity. The overall RR was 31.9 %; there were 3 complete responses (6.4 %) and 12 partial responses (25.5 %). Grade 3 and 4 hematologic toxicities included neutropenia (23.6 %), anemia (12.8 %), and thrombocytopenia (10.7 %). Non-hematologic toxicities were mild, and no drug-related toxic deaths occurred. The median duration of response, TTP, and OS was 5.1, 4.8, and 17.0 months, respectively. In the initially platinum-sensitive group, RR and OS were 44.4 % and 20.4 months, while in the initially platinum-resistant group, these values were 15.0 and 8.7 months, respectively (P = 0.027 and P = 0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Ifosfamide combined with cisplatin is a well-tolerated regimen with modest activity in recurrent EOC. In addition, this regimen was especially effective in patients whose disease was initially platinum-sensitive.

Differential in vitro sensitivity to patupilone versus paclitaxel in uterine and ovarian carcinosarcoma cell lines is linked to tubulin-beta-III expression

OBJECTIVE

To compare the in vitro sensitivity/resistance to patupilone versus paclitaxel in uterine and ovarian carcinosarcomas (CS).

METHODS

Five primary carcinosarcoma cell lines, two from uterine and three of ovarian origin, were evaluated for growth rate and tested for their in vitro sensitivity/resistance to patupilone versus paclitaxel by MTS assays. To identify potential mechanisms underlying the differential sensitivity/resistance to patupilone, expression levels of β-tubulin III (TUBB3) were determined with quantitative-real-time-polymerase-chain-reaction (q-RT-PCR) in primary uterine and ovarian CS cell lines and in 26 uterine and 9 ovarian CS fresh-frozen-tissues.

RESULTS

No appreciable difference in sensitivity to patupilone versus paclitaxel was noted in ovarian CS cell lines, or when uterine and ovarian CS cell lines were compared in their response to paclitaxel. In contrast, uterine CS cell lines were found to be significantly more sensitive to patupilone than to paclitaxel (P<0.002) and demostrated lower IC(50s) to patupilone (range 0.76-0.93nM) when compared to ovarian CS (range 1.9-3.4 nM, p<0.05). Higher levels of TUBB3 were detected in uterine CS cell lines and fresh frozen tissues when compared to ovarian CS (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Uterine CS cell lines are significantly more sensitive than ovarian CS cell lines to patupilone versus paclitaxel. High expression of TUBB3 is associated with sensitivity to patupilone in primary CS cell lines and may act as a genetic marker to predict chemotherapy efficacy. Patupilone may represent a promising drug in the treatment of this subset of rare but highly aggressive gynecological tumors.

Uterine carcinosarcomas (malignant mixed müllerian tumours): a review with special emphasis on the controversies in management

Uterine carcinosarcomas (MMMT-malignant mixed Müllerian tumours) are highly aggressive, rare, biphasic tumours composed of epithelial and mesenchymal elements believed to arise from a monoclonal origin. While hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy remains the mainstay treatment, high rates of recurrence and metastases suggest a need for lymphadenectomy and postoperative adjuvant treatment. There are no established consensus guidelines for therapeutic patient management. Though well recognized that it improves locoregional control, the role of radiation in improving overall survival outcomes remains undecided. Although various combinations of chemotherapy have been explored, an optimal therapeutic modality is yet to be determined. As overall survival rates have not improved in thirty years, it is suggested that targeted chemotherapy and/or a multimodality approach may yield better outcomes. This paper provides a summary of the aetiopathogenesis of carcinosarcomas (MMMT) limited to the uterus with special emphasis on the controversies in the management of these patients.

Optimal debulking surgery followed by paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy is very effective in treating ovarian carcinosarcomas: a single center experience

BACKGROUND

There have been only a few reports on the survival and management of patients with ovarian carcinosarcomas. We evaluated the clinical characteristics, outcomes and prognostic factors of ovarian carcinosarcomas.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of data obtained from medical records of 40 patients treated at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between January 1989 and January 2008.

RESULTS

Median survival was significantly longer in patients <60 years of age than in those ≥60 (p = 0.001), patients with early-stage compared to advanced tumors (p = 0.035), those with optimally debulked tumors compared to suboptimally (p < 0.001) in the advanced stage, and patients treated with paclitaxel/platinum compared to patients treated with other chemotherapies (p < 0.001). The progression-free interval was longer in patients with early-stage (p = 0.003) and optimally debulked tumors (p = 0.001), as well as in those treated with paclitaxel/platinum (p = 0.049). Multivariate analysis showed that advanced-stage, non-optimal debulking and non-paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy were significant independent predictors of a shorter progression-free interval, and that non-optimal debulking and non-paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy were significant independent predictors of shorter overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Early-stage optimal debulking and adequate chemotherapy can influence time to progression and survival, indicating that the most effective treatment for patients with ovarian carcinosarcomas consists of optimal debulking surgery followed by paclitaxel/platinum chemotherapy.

Ovarian and uterine carcinosarcomas: a comparative analysis of prognostic variables and survival outcomes

INTRODUCTION

Carcinosarcomas (malignant mixed Mullerian tumor) of the female genital tract are rare tumors associated with poor outcome. The objective of this study was to identify site-specific differences by comparing carcinosarcomas originating in the uterus and the ovaries.

METHODS

Data on patients with uterine and ovarian carcinosarcomas were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 1988 and 2005. Kaplan-Meier log rank and Cox proportional hazards models were used for survival analysis and for identification of possible predictors for survival.

RESULTS

The identified cohort included 3683 women of whom 2759 (75%) have uterine carcinosarcoma and 924 (25%) have ovarian carcinosarcomas. The patients with uterine carcinosarcoma were older than the patients with ovarian carcinosarcoma (median age, 67 vs 65 years; P < 0.001). The women with uterine carcinosarcoma compared with those with ovarian carcinosarcoma were more often African American (17.3% vs 6%; P < 0.001) and presented more often with localized disease (47% vs 10.8%; P < 0.001). Uterine carcinosarcoma compared with ovarian carcinosarcoma differed significantly with regard to the performance of lymphadenectomy (62.6% vs 41.2%; P < 0.001) and the administration of radiotherapy (38.2% vs 4.8%; P < 0.001). When controlled for the extent of disease spread, uterine carcinosarcoma had a more aggressive clinical course and shorter survival compared with ovarian carcinosarcoma. Although age (P < 0.001), race (P = 0.01), stage (P < 0.001), lymphadenectomy (P < 0.001), and radiation (P < 0.001) were all significant prognostic factors in uterine carcinosarcoma, only age (P < 0.001), stage (P < 0.001), and lymphadenectomy (P < 0.001) were significant predictors in ovarian carcinosarcoma.

CONCLUSION

Although uterine carcinosarcoma presents at an earlier stage than ovarian carcinosarcoma, it has a worse prognosis compared with ovarian carcinosarcoma, with a similar extent of disease spread. Improved survival observed in lymphadenectomy group lends support to its routine performance in patients with uterine and ovarian carcinosarcomas.

Primary malignant mixed müllerian tumor of the ovary

OBJECTIVE

To present a case of malignant mixed müllerian tumor of the ovary, a rare and aggressive ovarian malignant tumor with poor prognosis.

CASE REPORT

A 52-year-old woman consulted our outpatient department with complaints of abdominal distention and a firm palpable mass over her lower abdomen. Physical examination and computerized tomography revealed cystic mass lesions on the bilateral adnexal areas. Ovarian cancer was suspected, so the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. Optimal debulking surgery was performed, and final pathology revealed malignant mixed müllerian tumor of the ovary. Chemotherapy using ifosfamide and cisplatin were administered postoperatively, and adjuvant was also administered. After six cycles of chemotherapy, the patient is well with no signs of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Ovarian malignant mixed müllerian tumor usually yields poor outcomes; hence, aggressive treatment with optimal debulking surgery followed by combination chemotherapy using ifosfamide and cisplatin may improve patient outcomes.

Ovarian carcinosarcomas associated with prolonged use of tamoxifen: case reports

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have indicated that the risk associated with tamoxifen may be substantially higher for uterine malignant mixed müllerian tumors and uterine sarcomas.

CASE

We present 2 cases of ovarian carcinosarcomas in patients with a personal history of breast carcinoma who were treated for a prolonged period with tamoxifen.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, these 2 cases are the first to describe the possible association between ovarian carcinosarcomas and previous personal and familial history of breast carcinoma and\or prolonged use of tamoxifen. These cases may suggest that like in the uterus, tamoxifen has a possible delayed effect, which might be responsible for the formation of aggressive tumors of unclear pathogenesis in the ovaries.

Carcinosarcoma of the ovary a review

Carcinosarcoma of the ovary, also referred to as mixed mullerian tumor of the ovary, is a rare and aggressive tumor. This tumor type is unique in that it contains malignant epithelial and stromal elements. The average survival for a woman diagnosed with carcinosarcoma of the ovary is less than 2 years. Due to the rarity of this tumor, the optimal treatment for carcinosarcoma of the ovary has not been determined. We review the pathology, risk factors, and current treatment recommendations for carcinosarcoma of the ovary.

Ovarian carcinosarcomas: clinicopathological prognostic factors and evaluation of chemotherapy regimens containing platinum

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinicopathological prognostic factors and outcome of chemotherapy in ovarian carcinosarcomas.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of 26 patients treated from 1990 to 2006 at the Oncology Institute of Istanbul University. Clinical data including demographics, stage, surgery, chemotherapy, and survival were collected from patients' charts.

RESULTS

All patients underwent initial debulking surgery. Optimal debulking was achieved in 21 (81%) patients. The most striking clinicopathological finding was the high incidence of hemorrhagic ascites (n: 6) which was observed in 60% of the patients with ascites (n: 10). The overall median survival of the patients was 26 months. Residual disease was associated with a decreased overall survival, P=0.04. Median survival (50 months vs 9.7 months, P=0.042) of the patients with early stage disease were longer than the patients with advanced stage. Twenty-two patients received platinum-based combination chemotherapy. There was a trend for increased median survival in the patients who were treated with carboplatin/paclitaxel combination (P=0.066). Although the numbers were insufficient for statistical evaluation, the patients treated with ifosfamide combinations had improved survival (36 months vs 26 months). However, when the patients treated with ifosfamide and carboplatin/paclitaxel combinations were combined, survival was statistically improved compared to the other regimens (36 months vs 9.7 months, P=0.04). Chemotherapy regimens containing doxorubicin or cyclophosphamide were not encouraging. Stage (P=0.02) and adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy containing either paclitaxel or ifosfamide (P=0.024) remained predictive of outcome in the multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Hemorrhagic ascites can be used in the initial differential diagnosis of ovarian carcinosarcomas. Stage, optimal debulking and type of adjuvant therapy were statistically significant prognostic predictors of ovarian carcinosarcomas. We advise that patients with ovarian carcinosarcomas should be treated by optimal cytoreduction followed by adjuvant platinum/taxan or platinum/ifosfamide combinations.