Recruiting

Testing a multi-step chemotherapy plan for advanced ovarian cancer

Plain-English translation of NCT04520074 on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗ · Source last updated July 2022 · Translation generated July 2026 · How we translate trials

Read our Ovarian Cancer research guide →

Phase 3 — Testing in thousands of people, comparing the treatment against what doctors currently use. This is the last big step before approval.

What is this trial?

This trial is testing a three-step chemotherapy approach for women with advanced ovarian cancer (stage III or IV) who have already had surgery and initial chemotherapy. The approach uses different chemotherapy drugs in three sequential phases over several months, based on the idea that switching drug types may help prevent cancer from coming back. Early research showed this treatment plan significantly improved long-term survival rates compared to standard chemotherapy alone.

Most ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and current survival rates remain low—only about 10% of patients are cancer-free 5 years after initial treatment. This trial exists to test whether this new three-step medication approach can improve those odds by attacking cancer cells that survive standard treatment and may be hiding in the body.

Do you qualify?

You likely qualify if…

you are a woman between 18 and 75 years old
you have been diagnosed with stage III or IV ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer
you have already had surgery to remove as much cancer as possible and completed initial chemotherapy (6–9 cycles) with a complete response
your cancer does not have BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations
it has been no more than 8 months since your last chemotherapy session
your blood counts and liver and kidney function are healthy enough for treatment

You likely don't qualify if…

you have a weakened immune system or active infection
you have severe heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease
you have had radiation therapy to your pelvis or abdomen
you have had another cancer in the past (except for certain skin cancers or early cervical cancers treated years ago)
you have been enrolled in another drug trial within the last 30 days

What participation looks like

If you join this trial, you will receive the three-step chemotherapy treatment over several months: the first step involves one drug combination given every 3 weeks for 6–8 cycles, the second step uses a different drug combination given every 4 weeks for 6 cycles, and the third step uses yet another combination given every 8 weeks for 6 cycles. You will have regular clinic visits and blood tests to monitor how you are tolerating the treatment and how your cancer is responding.

AI-generated summary from trial data · Jul 15, 2026 · Not medical advice

Trial locations(1 site)

China

Wu Xiaohua, Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality