The CancerWeb Report, What's New In Cancer: September, 1996
Ovarian Cancer

• Vinorelbine for platinum-resistant disease - Clinicians at the National Tumor Institute in Milan, Italy, reported that among ovarian cancer patients whose disease had become resistant to the commonly-used drug cisplatin, 21% still responded to the new semisynthetic vinca drug vinorelbine. In fact, their results as described in an article in the September issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, showed that responses occurred only among the cisplatin-resistant patients. (Bajetta, J Clin Oncol 14:2546, 1996)

  Editor's Comment: - One complete and 4 partial responses occurred, and stabilized disease was seen in 7 others in this small study; response rates to chemotherapy are generally low in advanced ovarian cancer. Vinorelbine is another less than optimal drug for this disease, but at least it gives some hope of improvement in a significant percentage of those no longer responding to current therapy.