Dr. Muggia on Doxil in Ovarian Cancer

NYU Langone

Franco M. Muggia, MD, The Anne Murnick Cogan and David H. Cogan Professor of Oncology, Medical Center, discusses using Doxil to treat ovarian cancer.

Muggia says Doxil is a special formulation of doxorubicin, a very toxic drug that was used in ovarian cancer when the drug first came out. Doxorubicin can only be used up to a certain limit and can cause cardiac and acute toxicities. It is currently only used in endometrial cancer, Muggia says.

Muggia says Doxil eliminates acute toxicities, though there are some delayed side effects associated with the drug. Muggia says he conducted a phase I trial of Doxil that showed remarkable response in ovarian cancer. Now, he is working on combining Doxil with other agents in phase II trials. Muggia says Doxil combines well with other drugs, especially those that have acute effects.

Muggia says physicians are researchers are now looking at combining Doxil with agents that have multiple acute effects in an effort to control the acute effects.