In short
There are currently 2 ongoing clinical trials for Fallopian Tube Cancer Stage III, testing new treatment approaches that combine chemotherapy with targeted maintenance therapies. These trials are being conducted across multiple European countries including Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, offering opportunities for patients with advanced disease to access innovative treatment strategies.
Clinical trial locations
- Austria
- Belgium
- Czechia
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Spain
Study on Adjusting Chemotherapy with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel for Patients with Poor Prognostic Ovarian Cancer
This trial is testing a new way of giving chemotherapy to patients whose cancer has not responded well to standard treatment. The study focuses on patients with stage III or IV high-grade cancer that cannot be completely removed by surgery and shows poor response to initial treatment.
Main inclusion criteria: To participate, you must be at least 18 years old with confirmed high-grade epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube cancer at stage III or IV. You should have already received 3 to 4 cycles of standard carboplatin-paclitaxel chemotherapy but with a poor response, shown by a KELIM score below 1.0. This score measures how well your cancer responds to chemotherapy. You need to be well enough to carry out daily activities with minimal restrictions (ECOG performance status 0 or 1) and have adequate organ function, including proper kidney, liver, and bone marrow function. You must also be able to follow the study schedule and provide written consent.
Main exclusion criteria: You cannot participate if you are male, as this trial is only for female patients. Vulnerable populations requiring special protection are also excluded from the study.
Focus and goal: The trial compares the standard three-weekly chemotherapy schedule with a new "weekly dose-dense regimen" that uses more frequent, smaller doses of carboplatin and paclitaxel. The goal is to determine whether this approach is more effective in improving outcomes for patients with poor prognosis. The study also examines the use of bevacizumab, a medication that blocks blood vessel growth to tumors, and filgrastim, which helps maintain white blood cell counts during treatment. Researchers will monitor overall response, progression-free survival (time before the cancer worsens), overall survival, and quality of life over a treatment period of up to 64 weeks.
Investigational drugs: The main chemotherapy drugs being tested are carboplatin and paclitaxel. Carboplatin works by interfering with cancer cell DNA to prevent growth and division, while paclitaxel stops cancer cells from dividing by affecting their internal structure. Both are given intravenously using different dosing schedules to find the most effective approach.
Study on Niraparib, Carboplatin, and Paclitaxel for Advanced Ovarian Cancer Patients After Tumor Removal
This trial is examining whether a shorter treatment duration can be just as effective as a longer one. The study includes patients with advanced high-grade ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, primary peritoneal cancer, or clear cell carcinoma who have no remaining tumor after surgery.
Main inclusion criteria: You must be a woman aged 18 or older who is either postmenopausal or unable to have children (if you can have children, a negative pregnancy test is required). You need advanced high-grade ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal cancer, or clear cell carcinoma, but not the mucinous type. You must have undergone surgery to remove your tumor with a CT scan confirming no visible cancer remains. Your tumor must test positive for a specific genetic marker called HRD. You need to be in generally good health (ECOG performance status 0 or 1), able to take oral medications, and have normal organ and bone marrow function. This includes adequate levels of hemoglobin, white blood cells, platelets, and proper liver and kidney function.
Main exclusion criteria: You cannot participate if you have any other type of cancer not specified in the study, have not had surgery to remove the primary tumor, have remaining tumor after surgery, or are male. Vulnerable populations are also excluded.
Focus and goal: The study compares giving maintenance treatment with niraparib after three cycles of chemotherapy versus after six cycles. Patients receive either three or six cycles of standard carboplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapy, followed by niraparib tablets. Some patients may receive a placebo for comparison. The aim is to determine if the shorter treatment duration can provide similar benefits in preventing cancer recurrence. The trial will assess recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and quality of life, continuing until March 2032.
Investigational drug: Niraparib is the main investigational medication being tested as maintenance therapy. It is taken orally as tablets after completing initial chemotherapy. Niraparib works by blocking an enzyme called PARP, which cancer cells need to repair their DNA. By preventing this repair, niraparib helps kill cancer cells and aims to extend the time patients remain cancer-free.
Summary
Both ongoing trials for Stage III fallopian tube cancer are exploring ways to optimize treatment for patients with advanced disease. The trials share a common focus on using carboplatin and paclitaxel as core chemotherapy agents, reflecting their established role in treating gynecological cancers.
The first trial addresses patients with poor prognosis who have not responded well to initial treatment, testing whether changing the dosing schedule to more frequent, smaller doses might improve outcomes. The second trial focuses on patients who have had successful tumor removal and examines whether shorter treatment duration with maintenance therapy can be just as effective as longer treatment.
These trials are widely distributed across Europe, with Italy participating in both studies, offering patients in that country broader access to clinical research. Both trials emphasize the importance of careful patient selection based on factors such as surgical outcomes, treatment response markers, and genetic characteristics, highlighting the increasingly personalized approach to cancer treatment.
