Conditions: Cervical Cancer Endometrial Cancer Ovarian Cancer Vaginal Cancer Carcinoma of the Vulva
Keywords: Recurrent Endometrial cancer Recurrent Cervical cancer Recurrent Ovarian cancer Recurrent Vaginal cancer Recurrent Vulvar cancer Vaginal recurrence Brachytherapy Radiation Treatment External Beam Radiation Avastin Bevacizumab
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 21
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
This research study is evaluating a drug called avastin in combination with standard radiation as a possible treatment for treatment for recurrent pelvic-confined gynecological cancer (i.e. endometrial, cervical, vulvar, ovarian or vaginal cancers).

Detailed description:
The purpose of this research study is to learn the effects (good and bad) of an antiangiogenic therapy drug (drugs that stop new blood vessel growth and starve a tumor by cutting off its blood supply) called avastin. Avastin is an antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. VEGF is a potent, specific growth factor with a well-defined role in normal and abnormal blood vessel formation. It is present in a wide variety of normal tissues, but is produced in excess by most solid cancers (tumors). In the setting of cancer, VEGF promotes the growth of blood vessels that bring nutrients to tumor cells. In laboratory studies, avastin has been shown to inhibit the growth of several different types of human cancer cells.

This drug has been studied in at least 3500 people with breast, colorectal, renal, ovarian and lung cancer. It has not been studied in combination radiation therapy in people with recurrent gynecological cancer.

Previous clinical trials involving the use of avastin in combination with standard radiation in colorectal and pancreatic cancer show no significant increase in toxicity as compared to standard radiation therapy toxicity.

The primary objective of this study is to assess the toxicity of administering avastin with radiation for recurrent gynecological cancer. The secondary endpoint will be to assess the time to progression of the disease. This means we hope this treatment program will delay any regrowth of your cancer as compared to standard therapy with radiotherapy alone. In addition, how well you respond to the treatment, patterns of remission or recurrence will be measured.

Arms:
arm 1: Avastin

Interventions: intervention 1: Avastin
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Avastin will be administered intravenously (vein) at 10mg/kg every two weeks starting day 1 for a total of 3 doses.

Protocol document: