Sunitinib Malate in Treating Patients With Persistent or Recurrent Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To evaluate the anti-tumor activity of SU11248 (sunitinib malate), a highly potent, selective tyrosine kinases inhibitor, in patients with persistent or recurrent clear cell ovarian carcinoma. II. To examine the nature and degree of toxicity in this cohort of patients treated with this regimen. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To characterize the distribution of progression-free survival and overall survival for patients treated with SU11248 (sunitinib malate). TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the pre-cycle 1, pre-cycle 4 and off-treatment levels of pro-angiogenic proteins (e.g., angiogenin, soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule \[VCAM\]-I, basic fibroblast growth factor \[bFGF\], platelet-derived growth factor \[PDGF\], placental growth factor \[PlGF\], vascular endothelial growth factor \[VEGF\], and hypoxia-inducible factor \[HIF\]1alpha). II. To identify changes in serum and plasma angiogenesis markers at baseline (pre-cycle 1), during treatment (cycle 4), and at progression in association with primary and secondary clinical endpoints associated with clinical response or progression-free survival. OUTLINE: Patients receive sunitinib malate orally (PO) once daily (QD) for 4 weeks. Courses repeat every 6 weeks in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years.