Andreas du Bois, MD

Andreas du Bois, MD, a professor of gynecologic oncology at Kliniken Essen Mitte in Essen, Germany, discusses a phase III trial exploring the effectiveness of treatment with maintenance pazopanib for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

This phase III, randomized, multicenter clinical trial (AGO-OVAR16) was open to patients  who had already received primary treatment for advanced ovarian cancer and had not progressed until the end of treatment, du Bois says. The patients were randomized to receive either pazopanib (for 2 years) or placebo.

The trial found that pazopanib (Votrient), following initial successful chemotherapy, extended disease-free survival by an average of 5.6 months compared with a placebo in patients with advanced epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer.

Patients who had primary treatment of advanced ovarian cancer were included in this trial

Patients had not progressed until end of treatment and then were randomized to receive pazopanib and placebo

Pazopanib extended disease-free survival by an average of 5.6 months compared with a placebo

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Extending Progression-Free Survival in Ovarian Cancer With Pazopanib 

Andreas du Bois, MD, a professor of gynecologic oncology at Kliniken Essen Mitte in Essen, Germany, discusses the background, rationale, and results for the exploration of maintenance pazopanib as a treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Following the primary treatment of ovarian cancer, approximately 80% to 85% of patients will show no evidence of disease. However, 70% to 80% of patients will eventually recur, warranting the need for maintenance therapy, du Bois believes.

Angiogenesis plays a major role in ovarian cancer, du Bois states. As a result, the angiogenesis inhibitor pazopanib was explored further in this disease. This led to the phase III randomized trial that enrolled almost 1,000 patients comparing pazopanib to placebo. In the trial, maintenance pazopanib following initial successful chemotherapy extended progression-free survival by an average of 5.6 months, compared to placebo.

Following the primary treatment of ovarian cancer, 70% to 80% of patients will eventually recur

Angiogenesis plays a major role in ovarian cancer, warranting the exploration of pazopanib in this disease

In a phase III trial, maintenance pazopanib extended PFS by an average of 5.6 months compared to placebo

Andreas du Bois, MD, discusses the background, rationale, and results for the exploration of maintenance pazopanib as a treatment for patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Andreas du Bois, MD | Authors

Articles

Extending Progression-Free Survival in Ovarian Cancer With Pazopanib

Maintenance Pazopanib in Ovarian Cancer