What happened, in summary

A 47-year-old woman underwent optimal debulking surgery for Stage III high-grade papillary serous ovarian cancer in 2001, followed by 6 cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Testing showed a BRCA1 mutation.

The cancer returned in late 2004. Retreatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel was stopped after 4 cycles because of sensory neuropathy. With recurrent disease in hepatic hilar lymph nodes, she later received intraperitoneal cisplatin and topotecan on a treatment protocol. Another recurrence in 2007 led to 3 cycles of carboplatin with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin followed by maintenance therapy.

When the CA-125 level rose and imaging continued to show disease, she entered a phase II trial of veliparib and cyclophosphamide in 2010. The trial was stopped in 2011 because of worsening thrombocytopenia. Her ovarian disease had remained stable during treatment but then showed slow progression. In December 2011, bevacizumab was started for the progressing hilar nodal disease. She also developed separate skin and oral squamous cell cancers during this period, which were treated independently.