Maintenance Treatment for Ovarian Carcinoma in Remission by an Antiangiogenic Treatment Strategy
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2013-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Preclinical studies showed that metronomic chemotherapy can induce tumor regression secondary
to apoptosis of the tumor blood vessels. This effect was increased by combining metronomic
chemotherapy with anti-angiogenic drugs. Metronomic chemotherapy has already proved clinical
effects too, especially on patients with breast or prostate carcinoma. This study is aimed to
test the efficacy of an experimental metronomic chemotherapy regimen in a cohort of patients
with ovarian cancer. Patients will receive the proposed regimen as maintenance treatment
following response induction by the conventional maximal tolerated dose (MTD) regimen of
Carboplatin and Paclitaxel. Our regimen will include Cytophosphan combined with two agents
which are expected to act as indirect angiogenic inhibitors: (a) celecoxib, as a selective
COX-2 inhibitor and (b) low-dose Methotrexate, as successfully practiced for suppressing the
inflammatory manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis. All components of our regimen will be
administered orally and continuously for one year based on the hypothesis that its
anti-angiogenic properties will be able to suppress the recovery of residual disease, thus
extending the time to progression (TTP), and possibly the overall survival as well.