Pharmacokinetic Study of Avastin and Doxil in Ovarian Cancer

This study is to study pharmacokinetics of Doxil using Doxil and Avastin on ovarian cancer patients who are resistant to or have relapsed from platinum-based therapy.

This study registration at clinicaltrials.gov is divided into 2 records. This record (NCT00846612) is for pharmacokinetics of Doxil. Another record (NCT00945139) describes the efficacy and safety of the combination treatment. Treatment upon diagnosis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) consists of surgery to achieve maximal tumor debulking followed by platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin + paclitaxel). Recently, optimally (e.g., \< 1 cm residual disease) debulked patients appear to benefit from regimens that include intraperitoneal administration of cisplatin. While complete response (CR) is frequently achieved, by two years 50% of the patients show signs of recurrence. When EOC presenting at an advanced stage recurs, even after a CR had been achieved, it can no longer be totally eradicated. Nevertheless, a number of drugs lead to objective responses, patients benefit with a prolongation of survival. Anti-tumor activity of Doxil against ovarian cancer was noted in a phase I study, and this was followed by a phase II study that demonstrated activity in platinum and paclitaxel refractory disease. In the expanded phase II experience at the University of Southern California, responses to Doxil occurred preferably in disease that was not bulky and after fewer prior treatments. Typically, several cycles were required for maximum response, and some patients had prolonged stable disease. Subsequently, the study of Gordon et al established the preferred role of this drug formulation in the 2nd line-setting. It is logical, therefore, to build on this agent in trying to improve the outcome of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer, and in particular, to consider a combination with Avastin, since Avastin has shown agent activity in retrospective data and recent studies in EOC. A combination of Doxil with Avastin has several aspects of interest to ovarian cancer treatment: 1) independent single-agent activity, 2) enhanced localization of Doxil is possible via increased half-life (if liposomal egress is diminished) and decreased tumoral interstitial pressure, 3) improved Doxil distribution, and 4) likely favorable toxicity profile since Doxil's only common problematic toxicity is to the skin (palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia or PPE). Pharmacokinetic issues will be addressed in selected patients, by comparing cycle 1 (without Avastin) with cycle 2 (with Avastin).