SGO: Three Abstract Highlights from the Initial Plenary Session

Three highly provocative papers from the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) were presented during the initial plenary session of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) 41st Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.

Mannel and colleagues reported the results of a phase 3 trial conducted by the GOG that explored the addition of single-agent, weekly paclitaxel delivered as a “maintenance strategy” for 24 weeks following the completion of three cycles of carboplatin plus paclitaxel in women with high-risk, early-stage ovarian cancer. In the entire study population, there was no improvement in progression-free survival noted, although a “trend” in favor of the prolonged treatment strategy was observed in a subpopulation of individuals with serous cancers (comprising approximately 30% of the entire study population).

Hurteau and colleagues described the outcome of a novel phase 3 GOG study that compared single-agent tamoxifen with single-agent thalidomide in women with ovarian cancer who experienced an asymptomatic recurrence documented by CA-125 monitoring. The study revealed a superior outcome associated with tamoxifen treatment, based on less toxicity and a longer time to subsequent documentation of disease progression. These data, including the favorable side effect profile, support the potential clinical utility of tamoxifen in the setting of an asymptomatic ovarian cancer patient who experiences disease recurrence documented solely by a rise in CA-125. Of note, this is a fairly common clinical scenario.

Lesnock and colleagues reported the results of a retrospective examination of the impact of BRCA1 expression on outcome in patients with advanced ovarian cancer previously treated on a phase 3 GOG trial that compared intravenous to intraperitoneal chemotherapy. The investigators found that patients with low BRCA1 expression experienced a major improvement in outcome if treated via the intraperitoneal route, whereas no difference in outcome between the two treatment strategies was noted in women with high BRCA1 expression. This extremely interesting result suggests it may be possible to prospectively identify small volume, residual, advanced ovarian cancer patients who have the greatest potential to benefit from delivery of a regional treatment program.