A trial looking at carboplatin, paclitaxel and gemcitabine for ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer (SCOTROC 5)

Cancer type:

Ovarian cancer

Status:

Results

Phase:

Phase 2

This trial looked at gemcitabine as well as paclitaxel and carboplatin for ovarian cancer and primary peritoneal cancer.

Doctors usually treat ovarian cancer and primary peritoneal cancer with surgery  followed by chemotherapy. The chemotherapy drugs they most commonly use are carboplatin and paclitaxel (Taxol). But they are always looking for ways to improve treatment.

Doctors thought that adding another chemotherapy drug called gemcitabine may have been useful. But having all 3 drugs together may have caused too many side effects. So in this trial they were looking at carboplatin on its own followed by paclitaxel and gemcitabine together.

The aims of this trial were to find out

  • How many women were able to complete the full treatment
  • The side effects of these drugs when given in this way
  • How well this combination of treatment worked for ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer
  • How this treatment affected quality of life

Summary of results

The trial team found that the majority of women were able to complete the full treatment.

Everyone had 4 cycles of treatment with carboplatin followed by 4 cycles of paclitaxel and gemcitabine.

Of the 54 women recruited, 40 completed all 8 cycles of treatment.

The most common side effects were

The researchers were able to look at how the cancer responded to treatment in 43 women. Of these 43, it had responded in 33 women.

This trial was the last in a group of trials looking at how often to give paclitaxel to treat ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer.

When the researchers looked at the results of all the trials they concluded that weekly treatment with paclitaxel is best.

We have based this summary on information from the team who ran the trial. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed Open a glossary item) and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team. We have not analysed the data ourselves.

Recruitment start:

Recruitment end:

How to join a clinical trial

Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Chief Investigator

Professor Stanley Kaye

Supported by

Eli Lilly and Company Limited
National Institute for Health Research Cancer Research Network (NCRN)
Scottish Gynaecological Cancer Trials Group

If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses

Freephone 0808 800 4040

Last review date

CRUK internal database number:

Oracle 667

Please note - unless we state otherwise in the summary, you need to talk to your doctor about joining a trial.

Around 1 in 5 people take part in clinical trials

3 phases of trials

Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.

Last reviewed:

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