Targeting adaptive changes following anti-angiogenesis therapy in ovarian cancer

Summary:

Epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecological malignancies. Although there have been improvements in the treatment of ovarian cancer, they have been modest. This is partly due to the fact that ovarian cancer is frequently not diagnosed until it has progressed to an advanced stage. While ovarian cancer is initially responsive to chemotherapy, the majority relapse and will ultimately succumb to the disease. For patients that have recurrent disease, they are divided into platinum-sensitive and platinum-resistant. For the latter, treatment options are limited, and response rates are generally less than 20%. This study will assess the effectiveness of an investigational drug, emactuzumab, in combination chemotherapy, in patients with platinum-resistant disease. Emactuzumab works by targeting a protein called CSF-1R, which is responsible for cancer cell survival, proliferation, and providing blood supply to tumors. The investigators at MD Anderson hope this combination will prolong survival greater than chemotherapy alone.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02923739