Efficacy and Safety of Paclitaxel and Carboplatin for Platinum-Sensitive Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose. Paclitaxel and carboplatin are novel anticancer drugs that have emerged in recent years, while there is still a lack of clinical consensus on these two drugs. The study conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review to analyze the efficacy and safety of paclitaxel and carboplatin for platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer. Methods. A systematic search was carried out in three databases of the Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed from the inception of each database to March 2021, and defined the progression-free survival and overall survival as the primary outcomes. Data analysis was performed using STATA 15.1. Results. Altogether, five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis, involving 2,740 patients, including 1317 in the CD (carboplatin doxorubicin) group and 1423 in the CP (carboplatin plus paclitaxel) group. It was found that pooled OS demonstrated no significant differences between the CD group and CP group (HR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.89–1.18, P  = 0.340), and the differences were not statistically significant in progression-free survival (HR = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.71–0.99, P  = 0.140), thrombocytopenia (OR = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.09−0.58, P = 0.775), and grade II alopecia between the two groups (OR = 9.41, 95% CI = 6.57–13.47, P  = 0.215). Conclusion. Current evidence suggests that paclitaxel and carboplatin do not produce more satisfactory results with respect to overall survival and reduction of side effects in treating platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, and further studies are needed.