Overview
Patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) have limited treatment options, and choosing between available therapies can be challenging. The COMPASS study used the Flatiron Health Research Database to compare the effectiveness and safety of nab-paclitaxel with traditional paclitaxel in patients with PROC.
Among 225 eligible patients—67 receiving nab-paclitaxel and 158 receiving paclitaxel—researchers found that both treatments showed comparable outcomes. Specifically, progression-free survival and overall survival were similar between therapies even after adjusting for differences in patient characteristics between groups. Beyond equivalent effectiveness, patients receiving nab-paclitaxel required fewer steroids, experienced no infusion-related reactions, and most notably, had only half the rate of peripheral neuropathy—a debilitating side effect that impacts quality of life.
Why this matters
This study fills an important gap—previously there were no studies comparing nab-paclitaxel and paclitaxel in PROC. These findings provide critical real-world evidence supporting nab-paclitaxel as an effective and well-tolerated option for PROC patients and reinforce its use in future clinical trials, helping oncologists make informed treatment decisions and potentially improving quality of life for patients with PROC.