Objective: Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) was introduced to reduce the adverse effect of doxorubicin in treating recurrent ovarian cancer. We sought to characterize the efficacy and adverse-effect profile of PLD in different doses and to evaluate predictive factors of palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE).
Methods: Patients with recurrent ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube carcinoma treated with single-agent PLD between 1996 and 2006 at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center were retrospectively identified, and charts were reviewed for patient demographics, PLD data, adverse effects, use of cooling mechanisms, and survival.
Results: Three hundred-thirty patients were included and PPE of any grade occurred in 30.9%. Patients received a median of 3 (mean 4.32) cycles of PLD treatment. The different PLD doses (<30, 35, 40, and >50 mg/m(2)) were not associated with differences in overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), or time to progression (TTP). The incidences of mucositis, neutropenia, peripheral neuropathy, and vomiting were significantly higher at doses >50 mg/m(2) than at doses <40 mg/m(2). More patients who used cooling mechanisms (39%) had PPE than those who did not (26%). There was an association between mucositis, neutropenia, and peripheral neuropathy and PPE. More cycles of PLD (>6) also increased the incidence of PPE. In our study, only 7% of women discontinued PLD for toxicity while 74% discontinued for progression.
Conclusion: There was no association between different doses of PLD and OS, PFS, or TTP. A higher dose and more cycles increased the incidence of several toxicities, including PPE. The use of cooling mechanisms, higher number of PLD cycles, and occurrence of mucositis, neutropenia, and peripheral neuropathy are possible predictors of PPE.