Acetylcysteine for the Mitigation of Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment in Ovarian Cancer Patients Receiving Platinum-Based Therapy

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients and/or their legally authorized representative will sign informed consent forms for study participation before undergoing treatment
• Women with a histologically confirmed diagnosis of stage III–IV epithelial ovarian cancer that are prescribed at least six courses of platinum-based therapy. The patients will be recruited from the Gynecological Oncology Clinics of the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center at UC Irvine. Our Gynecological Oncology Program is one of the largest in the United States, and is fully supportive of this study. Our projected enrollment will be completed over a period of 4 years
• Post-menopausal females (as defined by lack of menstruation for 12 months or status post oophorectomy)
• Histologic or pathologic diagnosis of stage III-IV epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer
• Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) =< 2
• Life expectancy > 1 year
• Status post cytoreductive surgery for ovarian cancer or with planned cytoreductive surgery if treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy
• Prescribed a minimum of six cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy
• Hemoglobin > 9 g/dL
• Leukocytes > 1,500/mcl
• Absolute neutrophil count > 1,000/mcL
• Platelets > 125,00/mcL
• Total bilirubin within normal institutional limits
• Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) < 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal
• Serum creatinine < 1.5 mg/dL

Exclusion Criteria

• Prior history of any cancer (other than non-melanoma skin cancer)
• Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or erythropoietin treatment within the last 6 months
• Prior severe head injury
• Has a history of dementia or other neurodegenerative disorders
• Has an uncontrolled, treatment-resistant depression or other severe psychiatric illnesses
• Presence of known brain metastases
• Has an active infection requiring treatment
• Known immunosuppressive disease
• Has active systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus
• Receipt of systemic immunosuppressive therapy
• Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis B or hepatitis C
• Pregnant of breastfeeding