Adding cediranib to carboplatin and paclitaxel may significantly improve efficacy in the treatment of patients with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer, a new study published online ahead of print in the journal The Lancet Oncology has shown.1

Only 20% to 30% of patients treated with standard chemotherapy for metastatic or relapsed cervical cancer respond to treatment and have an overall survival of less than 1 year.

Cediranib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that blocks VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3. Because high tumor angiogenesis and high levels of intratumoral VEGF are adverse prognostic features of metastatic or relapsed cervical cancer, researchers sought to evaluate the effect of adding cediranib to chemotherapy in patients with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer.

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For the double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 trial, researchers enrolled 69 patients who were initially diagnosed with metastatic carcinoma or who later developed metastatic disease or local pelvic disease recurrence following pelvic exenteration.

Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive carboplatin AUC of 5 plus paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 intravenously every 3 weeks for a maximum of 6 cycles with cediranib 20 mg or placebo orally once daily until disease progression.

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Results showed that after a median follow-up of 24.2 months, median progression-free survival was 8.1 months (80% CI, 7.4–8.8) with cediranib compared with 6.7 months (80% CI, 6.2–7.2) with placebo (HR, 0.58; 80% CI, 0.40–0.85; P=.032).

In regard to safety, grade 3 or higher diarrhea and febrile neutropenia and grade 2 to 3 hypertension were more common in the cediranib treatment arm.

Reference

  1. Symonds RP, Gourley C, Davidson S, et al. Cediranib combined with carboplatin and paclitaxel in patients with metastatic or recurrent cervical cancer (CIRCCa): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 trial [published online ahead of print October 13, 2015]. Lancet Oncol. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00220-X.

Topics:

Cervical Cancer Gynecologic Cancers