Name of the Trial
Phase III Randomized Study of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel Versus Carboplatin, Paclitaxel, and Concurrent Bevacizumab without versus with Extended Bevacizumab in Patients with Stage III or IV Ovarian Epithelial or Primary Peritoneal Cancer (GOG-0218). See the protocol summary at http://cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/GOG-0218.

Principal Investigators
Drs. Robert Burger and Gini Fleming, Gynecologic Oncology Group      

Why This Trial Is Important
Most women with ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread to the peritoneum (the lining of the abdominal cavity) or beyond. The standard treatment for advanced ovarian cancer is surgery, both to establish the stage and type of cancer and to remove as much cancerous tissue as possible, followed by chemotherapy with drugs such as carboplatin and paclitaxel. Despite aggressive treatment, however, the survival rate for advanced ovarian cancer remains low.

In this trial, women who have undergone initial surgery for ovarian cancer or primary peritoneal cancer (which is biologically similar to ovarian cancer) will receive standard intravenous chemotherapy. Some women will also receive concurrent treatment with a biologic agent called bevacizumab. Bevacizumab blocks the activity of a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor, which helps tumors form new blood vessels needed for continued growth and spread. Following chemotherapy, some of the bevacizumab-treated women will receive additional courses of bevacizumab.  

"In earlier trials, bevacizumab was shown to shrink ovarian tumors and stop tumor progression in some women with recurrent ovarian cancer," said Dr. Burger. "Based on these studies and studies of combining bevacizumab with chemotherapy for other advanced cancers, we're undertaking this trial to see if concurrent bevacizumab or concurrent and extended bevacizumab will help women with advanced ovarian cancer live longer and delay time to tumor progression."  

Who Can Join This Trial
Researchers will enroll 2,000 women with suboptimal stage III or stage IV ovarian or primary peritoneal cancer who have undergone initial surgery for their cancer. See the list of eligibility criteria at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/GOG-0218.

Study Sites and Contact Information
Study sites in the United States are recruiting patients for this trial. See the list of study contacts at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/GOG-0218, or call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) for more information. The toll-free call is confidential.