Health-related quality of life outcomes of docetaxel/carboplatin combination therapy vs. sequential therapy with docetaxel then carboplatin in patients with relapsed, platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer: Results from a randomized clinical trial

Objectives: A phase II clinical trial compared docetaxel in combination with carboplatin to sequential single agent docetaxel followed by carboplatin for treatment of recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian, peritoneal, or tubal cancer. This manuscript reports prospectively collected health-related quality of life (HRQL). Methods: Participants were randomized to either weekly docetaxel 30 mg/m ²/days 1 and 8 and carboplatin AUC 6/day 1 every 3 weeks (cDC) or docetaxel 30 mg/m ²/days 1 and 8, repeated every 3 weeks for 6 cycles followed by carboplatin AUC 6/day 1 every 3 weeks for 6 cycles or until disease progression (sDC). The primary HRQL endpoint was the trial outcome index (TOI) score of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovarian (FACT-O) instrument, and was assessed as an intent-to-treat analysis. The secondary HRQL endpoints included the FACT-O total score, the FACT-General, and several domain scores of the FACT-O instrument (physical well-being (PWB), social/family well-being (SWB), emotional well-being (EWB), functional well-being (FWB), and the ovarian cancer specific (OCS) module). The FACT-O was administered at randomization, prior to each of 6 cycles of treatment, and at study endpoint. Results: One hundred forty-eight participants were randomized to each group. Sequential docetaxel followed by carboplatin (sDC) was associated with significant improvements in the FACT-O TOI (p = 0.013), FACT-O total score (p = 0.033), and OCS (p = 0.029) compared to the combination docetaxel and carboplatin group (cDC). Conclusions: Sequential single agent docetaxel followed by carboplatin is associated with improved HRQL when compared to cDC. The improved progression-free survival observed with cDC should be weighed against lower quality of life during treatment.