Trial of Trientine Plus Pegylated Liposomal Doxorubicin and Carboplatin in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer, tubal, primary peritoneal cancers are lethal gynecologic malignances, with a 5-year survival rate below 25% for patients diagnosed with stage III-IV. Most advanced stage patients respond to cytoreductive surgery and platinum-based chemotherapy; however, \>70% of women relapse, and platinum-resistant EOC is uniformly fatal. Physicians often increase the dosage of cytotoxic agents, or use single or combination second-line agents to overcome the drug resistance. Nevertheless, second-line chemotherapy sometimes may not achieve the expected cytotoxic effect and drug resistance may lead to cancer-specific death. Overcoming resistance is an important strategy for improving the therapeutic efficacy in cisplatin-containing cancer chemotherapy. Cu homeostasis in human cells involves the inter-regulatory circuitry composed of Cu, the high-affinity Cu transporter (hCtr1) and transcription factor Sp1. Human copper transporter 1 (htr1) in humans are also involved in the import of antitumor agent cisplatin (Cp). Earlier the investigators also discovered that the magnitude of hCtr1 expression by Cu chelators depends upon the basal levels of hCtr1 expression, and that high levels of hCtr1 expression can be modulated through Cu deprivation in Cp-resistant (CpR) cells, providing a molecular basis for the development of Cu chelators as Cp resistance reversal agents in the clinical settings. D-penicillamine and Cp act synergistically to inhibit tumor growth. The investigators conduct this trial with combination agents, including LipoDox®, carboplatin and Trientine®, to develop the clinical application of copper chelator in conjunction with cytotoxic agents to conquer platinum-resistance. This trial is practical and is of perspective.