ICON8B

What is this study about?

Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and is usually treated by a combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Surgery is performed to remove as much of the cancer as possible. Chemotherapy is the name given to drug treatments that are given to kill or control the growth of cancer cells and to reduce the chances of the cancer coming back at a later time (recurrence). Anti-angiogenic drugs are treatments that are given to stop tumours from growing their own blood vessels. This is to shrink the tumour or slow its growth.

In ICON8B, there will be a combination of chemotherapy and an anti-angiogenic drug called bevacizumab.

Previous research has shown that, on average, patients who are treated with chemotherapy after surgery for ovarian cancer live longer than those who are not. Usually two drugs, carboplatin and paclitaxel (also sometimes called Taxol) are used. These drugs are internationally recommended by experts for the treatment of ovarian cancer. They are referred to as ‘standard chemotherapy’. This treatment is usually given once every three weeks for 18 weeks (or 6 cycles).

Paclitaxel can also be given in smaller doses every week in similar 3-week cycles to ‘standard chemotherapy’ and the carboplatin is given every 3 weeks; this is known as ‘dose-fractionated chemotherapy’.

ICON8B is investigating the combination of dose-fractionated chemotherapy and bevacizumab compared to the combination of standard chemotherapy and bevacizumab. This study will be in women who have what is described as ‘high-risk’ ovarian cancer to see if either treatment pathway is more effective at preventing the return of their cancer.

Type of study

Randomised trial

Contact details

mrcctu.icon8and8b@ucl.ac.uk

Who is funding the study?

Cancer Research UK.