TITLE:
Maintenance Chemotherapy in Ovarian Cancer: A Trial-Sequential Analysis
AUTHORS:
Andrea Messori, Valeria Fadda, Dario Maratea, Sabrina Trippoli
KEYWORDS:
Chemotherapy; Ovarian Cancer; Trial-Sequential Analysis; Futility
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.4 No.7,
September
4,
2013
ABSTRACT: In patients
with epithelian ovarian cancer who have achieved remission after initial
surgery and induction chemotherapy, the role of maintenance chemotherapy is
controversial. We carried out a trial-sequential analysis that included 4 randomised
controlled trials. The end-point was progression at 3 years while the boundary
for non-inferiority was set at ±20% in risk ratio. The results of our
trial-sequential analysis indicated the futility of maintenance chemotherapy, i.e. proof of no effectiveness.
Consequently, no further trials of this type should be performed to assess the
effectiveness of this intervention in this clinical condition.