title: Cediranib in ovarian cancer: state of the art and future perspectives.
abstract: Despite the dramatic improvements achieved in cancer treatment through a better understanding of the tumor biology, ovarian cancer is still characterized by a poor prognosis: most patients diagnosed with this disease will ultimately die from it. In various clinical trials conducted over a time span of two decades, new combinations of conventional chemotherapy regimens have failed to achieve significant improvements in oncologic outcome in ovarian cancer patients. We have now entered an era of "personalized medicine" in which new medications are designed to specifically target molecular pathways involved in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Encouraging results in different tumor types have been reported, applying an increasing number of target therapies that are still under evaluation. In this setting, one of the most successfully targeted molecular pathways is tumor angiogenesis. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody binding vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), has been recently incorporated in the treatment of primary and recurrent ovarian cancer patients after multiple phase III randomized controlled trials have proven its clinical benefit. Based on these positive results, more anti-angiogenic molecules using different mechanisms of action have been developed and are currently under investigation. Among these molecules, the tyrosine kinases inhibitors are probably the most promising ones. Cediranib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting VEGF receptors that has been tested in various trials with promising results. The aim of this manuscript is to review the current role of cediranib in the treatment of ovarian cancer and to present an overview of the ongoing clinical trials in this setting.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ilary
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruscito
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy. marialuisa.gasparri@uniroma1.it.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Berne, University of Berne, Effingerstrasse 102, 3010, Berne, Switzerland. marialuisa.gasparri@uniroma1.it.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gasparri
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Medici
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bracchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Innocenza
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Palaia
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Berne, University of Berne, Effingerstrasse 102, 3010, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Imboden
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Berne, University of Berne, Effingerstrasse 102, 3010, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Berne, University of Berne, Effingerstrasse 102, 3010, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papadia
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ludovico
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Muzii
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierluigi Benedetti
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Panici
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy*; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D007211:Indoles
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; C500926:cediranib; D007211:Indoles
keywords: Anti-angiogenesis; Cediranib; Ovarian cancer; Target therapy; Tyrosine kinase inhibitors