Maintenance Pazopanib in Ovarian Cancer

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