MANUFACTURING
INTRAPERITONEAL SUSTAINED - RELEASE CHEMOTHERAPY FOR REFRACTORY OVARIAN CANCER O
verall death cases from Ovarian Cancer (OC) accounts to be the highest among different gynaecological malignancies affecting cervix, uterus and ovaries. The extremely poor survival rates of 15-30 per cent at late stages of OC is mainly due to the advanced-stage detection of the disease, viz, Stage III or IV, wherein, the aggressive tumour spreads within and beyond the peritoneum. The highly asymptomatic nature of the disease coupled with inadequate screening methods also contribute to the disease lethality. Epithelial Ovarian Cancer (EOC), wherein the tumour originates from the surface layer of ovaries, constitute about 75 per cent of the total disease incidences and the long term survival of EOC patients remains poor according to recent reports. Unlike other
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P H A RM A F O C U S A S I A
ISSUE 38 - 2020
A localised metronomic approach sustaining low chemotherapy drug concentrations in the peritoneal cavity can be very effective for late stage ovarian cancer therapy. Biodegradable polymeric woven nanotextiles can serve as suturable intraperitoneal depots by providing extended drug elution for>2 months, wherein the metronomic doses render both anti-angiogenic and anti-tumour effects. Smrithi Padmakumar, Post-Doctoral Researcher, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University Deepthy Menon, Professor, Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences Mansoor Amiji, Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Professor, Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University
tumours, EOC metastasizes via transcoelomic route by which the malignant cells exfoliate along the peritoneal cavity by virtue of peritoneal fluid flow. Hence,
peritoneum is the primary and predominant site of EOC metastasis (Stage III) which subsequently spreads to omentum and later to distal organs such as liver and
