A randomised, placebo-controlled, trial of concurrent cediranib [AZD2171] (with platinum-based chemotherapy) and concurrent and maintenance cediranib in women with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the benefits of chemotherapy can be improved in women with relapsed ovarian cancer, by adding a new drug called Cediranib. Chemotherapy describes drug treatments which kill or control the growth of cancer cells. Cediranib is a ‘targeted therapy’ rather than a chemotherapy drug. As cancers grow they need to develop their own new blood supply to survive and this development of new blood supply vessels is known as angiogenesis. Cediranib works by slowing or stopping the growth of these new blood vessels which will hopefully interfere with the tumour’s ability to grow and spread to other parts of the body. It may also make the planned chemotherapy more effective. We believe that this may be an important new way to treat cancer. Although there are good scientific reasons from laboratory studies why Cediranib should work on ovarian cancer cells, it has not yet been tested in a large number of women with ovarian cancer. Cediranib is an investigational medical product which is not licensed for use in treatment of ovarian cancer or any other cancer