Gemcitabine for recurrent ovarian cancer - a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION: More than 80 % of women with advanced ovarian cancer relapse either during or after adjuvant therapy. Platinum-sensitive women are rechallenged with a platinum-combination therapy and platinum-resistant women are challenged with non-platinum drugs. Gemcitabine is one of many treatments that can be used both as single-agent or as combination therapy for the treatment of recurrent ovarian cancer.

METHODS: We included all randomised controlled trials investigating patients treated with gemcitabine for recurrent ovarian cancer and reporting data on overall survival, progression-free survival and toxicity. CENTRAL, EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched on the 31st of May 2019.

RESULTS: We included six randomised controlled trials that evaluated gemcitabine either alone or as combination therapy. Two studies compared gemcitabine to pegylated liposomal doxorubicin in women with platinum-resistant recurrent ovarian cancer. Difference in overall and progression-free survival was non-significant. Gemcitabine treatment was associated with significantly more neutropenia, whereas pegylated liposomal doxorubicin was associated with significantly more hand-foot syndrome. One study evaluated carboplatin and gemcitabine to carboplatin. Difference in overall survival was non-significant, but progression-free survival was longer with gemcitabine and carboplatin (HR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.58-0.9). One study evaluated gemcitabine with gemcitabine and pertuzumab. Overall survival and progression-free survival was similar between the two arms. One study compared gemcitabine and carboplatin to gemcitabine, carboplatin and bevacizumab. Overall survival was similar in the two arms. Progression-free survival was significantly better in the bevacizumab arm (HR 0.48 95% CI 0.39-0.61). One study compared etoposide and gemcitabine to etoposide. The study showed similar overall survival and progression-free survival.

DISCUSSION: The results show that gemcitabine is an active and safe agent in the treatment of both platinum-sensitive and resistant recurrent ovarian cancer but might highlight the need of new randomised studies in heavily pre-treated patients.