Systemic therapy in recurrent ovarian cancer: current treatment options and new drugs.

Most patients with ovarian cancer relapse despite aggressive surgery and platinum-taxane-based primary chemotherapy. Further treatment depends on prior response and progression-free interval. Monotherapy is indicated in patients with so-called platinum-resistant or -refractory ovarian cancer. The standard treatment for patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer is platinum-based combination chemotherapy. Cytoreductive surgery is also a treatment option in such patients. Actual treatment options and strategies in recurrent ovarian cancer will also be discussed. Furthermore, this review focuses on new drugs in the treatment of primary and recurrent ovarian cancer.