節拍式化學治療在婦科癌症的運用

Metronomic therapy in the management of patients with far-advanced and/or recurrent gynecologic cancers.

後期的婦科癌症的主要治療方式是使用全身性化療藥物。然而，在這類病人，治癒是幾乎不可能的任務，所以如何有效控制病情，改善生活品質，並延長生命，是目前癌症治療的挑戰。因為近年來癌症開始被視為慢性病，以慢性病治療方式將癌細胞控制在「休眠狀態」的觀念漸漸為愈來愈多人所接受。所以以更連續的施打化療藥物方式，且使用較低劑量、並縮短休息間隔，這樣的做法也獲得更多的注意，這就是所謂的「節拍式化學治療」。但是這個新興領域仍舊有許多有待研究之處。本篇綜論將整理已發表的、關於婦癌的節拍式化學治療機轉的研究。

Systemic chemotherapy plays a major role in the management of advanced-stage and/or recurrent gynecologic cancers. However, it is nearly impossible to 'cure' these patients. The therapeutic goal for these patients focuses on palliative and symptom-relief, improvement of life quality and prolonged life span. Cancer patients, similar to the patients with chronic medical illnesses, such as diabetes mellitus, and hypertension, can be managed with continuous, frequent and low dose of anti-neoplastic agents, which is called as metronomic therapy. The goal of this review is to explore the recent and updated knowledge about the use of metronomic therapy in the management of patients with far-advanced and/or recurrent gynecologic cancers.