
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.
This trial compared paclitaxel and carboplatin with irinotecan and cisplatin for clear cell cancer, a rare form of ovarian cancer. Cancer Research UK supported this trial.
Doctors usually treat ovarian cancer with surgery and then chemotherapy. They often use the chemotherapy drugs paclitaxel (Taxol) and carboplatin. But these drugs don’t always work very well for clear cell ovarian cancer.
Doctors hoped a combination of irinotecan and cisplatin would work better.
The aims of this trial were to find:
The trial team found that irinotecan and cisplatin didn’t work any better than paclitaxel and carboplatin for clear cell ovarian cancer.
This was an international phase 3 trial. It was a randomised trial.
667 women took part. The team was able to look at the results for 619 women.
After 2 years the team looked at the total number of women in each group who were still alive. They found this was:
They also looked at how many women had no sign of cancer. They found this was:
The most severe side effects of paclitaxel and carboplatin were:
The most severe side effects of irinotecan and cisplatin were:
The trial team concluded that irinotecan and cisplatin isn’t any better than paclitaxel and carboplatin as a treatment for clear cell ovarian cancer.
We have based this summary on information from the research team. The information they sent us has been reviewed by independent specialists () and published in a medical journal. The figures we quote above were provided by the trial team who did the research. We have not analysed the data ourselves.
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr John Green
Cancer Research UK
Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC)
NIHR Clinical Research Network: Cancer
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde
University of Glasgow
This is Cancer Research UK trial number CRUK/07/029.
If you have questions about the trial please contact our cancer information nurses
Freephone 0808 800 4040
Around 1 in 5 people diagnosed with cancer in the UK take part in a clinical trial.