Clinical trial Recruiting at 1 site Phase 2 Interventional Ages 18 to 75 Women only

Chemotherapy plus propranolol before surgery for advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Official title: Chemotherapy Combined With Propranolol Hydrochloride as Neoadjuvant Therapy for Advanced High-grade Serous Ovarian Cancer: A Prospective, Multicenter, Phase II Clinical Study

Run by Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital · NCT07125391 · Data updated 2026-11-12

The trial will try adding the beta-blocker propranolol to standard pre-surgery chemotherapy for people with advanced high-grade serous ovarian cancer to see if it improves tumor response and surgical outcomes.

Quick facts

PhasePhase 2
Study typeInterventional
Ages18 Years to 75 Years
SexWomen only
Enrollment136 (estimated)
SponsorAnhui Provincial Cancer Hospital
Academic / other
Drugs / interventionschemotherapy, radiation, prednisone, immunotherapy
Locations1 site (Hefei, Anhui)
StatusRecruiting
StartedJune 20, 2025
Main results expectedAugust 30, 2026
Study endsJune 30, 2027
Registry record updatedJune 30, 2026
Trial IDNCT07125391 on ClinicalTrials.gov

Is this trial a fit for you?

Likely a good fit

Women aged 18–75 with measurable, histologically confirmed high-grade serous ovarian cancer at FIGO stage III or IV, ECOG 0–1, adequate organ function, and willingness to provide tissue samples are eligible.

Probably not a fit

Patients with early-stage disease, non-serous ovarian cancers, poor performance status (ECOG ≥2), significant cardiac or other organ dysfunction, or contraindications to beta-blockers are unlikely to benefit from this approach.

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This phase II, interventional trial enrolls women with histologically confirmed high-grade serous ovarian cancer that is FIGO stage III or IV and not initially operable. Participants are assigned to one of two groups: neoadjuvant paclitaxel (or paclitaxel liposome) plus carboplatin for 3–4 cycles with or without propranolol started one week before chemotherapy (propranolol per protocol, 20 mg twice daily). After 3–4 cycles all patients undergo interval debulking surgery and tumor response is assessed before and after surgery, with safety monitored throughout. The study aims to test whether adding propranolol improves chemotherapy response, resectability, and short-term outcomes compared with chemotherapy alone.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, adding propranolol could improve tumor shrinkage before surgery and lead to better surgical outcomes and longer disease control.

How similar studies have gone: Preclinical studies and retrospective analyses in other cancers have suggested non-selective beta-blockers can enhance treatment response, but prospective data specifically in ovarian cancer are limited.

Who can join: the full rules

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Written informed consent was obtained before any trial-related procedures were performed.
* Women, 18 to 75 years old;
* FIGO stage for stage III or IV, including not surgery in patients with stage III or IV beginning for ovarian cancer; Histopathology confirmed high-grade serous ovarian cancer.
* According to the response evaluation criteria in 1.1 (RECIST1.1) definition, patients must have a measurable lesions
* Agreed to provide the participants formalin fixed and tumor tissue specimens or fresh biopsy tissue tumor lesions markers detection
* ECOG score 0-1 points
* Expected survival time 6 months or more
* Enough organ function, without severe hematopoietic dysfunction and heart, lung, liver, kidney dysfunction, and immune deficiency, participants need to satisfy the following laboratory indicators

  * hemoglobin (HGB) 90 g/L or higher
  * Neutrophils (NEUT) acuity 1.5 x 109 / L or white blood cell count (WBC) or 3 x 109 / L
  * Platelet (PLT) or 90 x 109 / L
  * Nmda aminotransferase (AST) 2.5 x ULN or less
  * Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 2.5 x ULN or less
  * Total bilirubin (TBIL) 1.5 x ULN or less
  * Serum creatinine (SCr) 1.0 x ULN or less
  * Potential fertility women in the group of 7 days before the serum or urine HCG were negative (postmenopausal women considered must be at least 12 months of amenorrhea fertility; Pregnancy tests are not required for women with documented tubal ligation)
  * Potential fertility women are willing to take in the experiment of the medical contraception

Exclusion Criteria:

* Malignant diseases other than ovarian cancer (excluding radical skin basal cell carcinoma, skin squamous cell carcinoma, and/or radical resection in situ carcinoma) diagnosed within 5 years before the first dose
* Current are participating in clinical research and treatment of intrusive, or within 4 weeks before the first dose received study used drugs or other treatments
* Always received pelvic radiotherapy and systemic chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, tumor targeting therapy, immune therapy
* Need treatment of symptomatic or non-control brain metastasis at the same time, including but not limited to, surgery, radiation and/or corticosteroids, or with the clinical manifestations of spinal cord compression
* Current use of oral or intravenous beta blockers (atenolol, peso parlour, carvedilol and labetalol, metoprolol, than the parlour, his law such as beta blockers) cannot safely use of propranolol
* Patients who have previously used propranolol, particularly those who were still on continuous use or had discontinued the medication for less than 14 days within 14 days prior to enrollment, are ineligible for inclusion. Those who have discontinued the medication for ≥14 days and meet the safety criteria as determined by the investigator may be selected for enrollment.
* Patients with contraindications to β-blockers were excluded according to the contraindications in the propranolol package insert.
* Patients were receiving systemic glucocorticoids (excluding topical glucocorticoids by nasal spray, inhalation, or other route) or any other form of immunosuppressive therapy within 7 days before the first study dose; Note: allows the use of physiological doses of corticosteroids (10 mg/day or less prednisone or equivalent drugs)
* Known allogeneic organ transplantation (except corneal transplantation) or allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
* Patients who were allergic to the active ingredient or excipients of propranolol hydrochloride in this study
* Have not fully recovered from any intervention-related toxicity and/or complications before starting treatment (i.e., ≤ grade 1 or baseline, excluding fatigue or alopecia)
* Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (i.e., HIV 1/2 antibody positive)
* Hepatitis b patients with known
* Activity of HCV infection subjects (HCV antibody positive and HCV - RNA levels higher than the detection limit)
* For the first time to give medicine before (1 cycle, day 1) vaccinated live vaccine within 30 days
* Pregnant or lactating women
* Any serious or uncontrolled systemic disease, such as

  * resting electrocardiogram (ecg) in rhythm, conduction, or have a significant and severe symptoms to appear on the form is hard to control the exceptions, such as complete left bundle branch block, Ⅱ degrees above heart block, ventricular arrhythmia or atrial fibrillation
  * Unstable angina and congestive heart failure, New York heart association (NYHA) classification of grade 2 or more chronic heart failure
  * Within 6 months before the selected treatment had any arterial thrombosis, embolism, or ischemia, such as myocardial infarction, unstable angina, cerebrovascular accident, or transient ischemic attack, etc.
  * First dose exist within 1 year before need to glucocorticoid treatment of infectious pneumonia history, or the current clinical activity interstitial lung disease; Active tuberculosis
  * There need systemic treatment of active or failure to control the infection
  * Clinical activity diverticulitis, abdominal abscess, gastrointestinal obstruction
  * Liver disease such as cirrhosis of the liver, decompensated liver disease, acute or chronic active hepatitis
  * Mental disorders and unable to cooperate with treatment
* Any medical history or evidence of illness, abnormal treatment or laboratory values, or other conditions that might interfere with the results of the trial or prevent full participation in the study, or any other potential risk that might be considered by the investigator to be inappropriate for enrollment.

Where it's running

  • Anhui Cancer Hospitail
    Hefei, Anhui, China
    Recruiting

Study contacts

Similar studies

Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.

  • CG-7321: a first-in-human test in advanced solid tumors

    We’re testing CG-7321 alone and with fulvestrant to see if it’s safe and tolerable in adults with advanced solid tumors.

    Recruiting at 4 sites Phase 1 Chengdu Cynogen Bio-pharmaceutical Tech. Co., Ltd. · Fuzhou, Fujian and 3 other locations · NCT07923214

  • CR-002 study in adults with advanced solid tumors

    This trial tests CR-002 as a single therapy to see if it is safe and tolerable in adults with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors

    Recruiting at 3 sites Phase 1/2 Crescent Biopharma, Inc. · Austin, Texas and 2 other locations · NCT07909031

  • VT-101 in Advanced Ovarian Cancer: early safety study in adults

    This early-phase trial tests VT-101 in adult women with advanced, recurrent, or relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer to see if it is safe, how the body handles it, and whether there are any initial signs of activity.

    Recruiting Phase 1 University of Iowa · Iowa City, Iowa · NCT07905677

  • Methylation markers in self-samples to help detect gynecological cancers

    This study tests whether self-collected urine and vaginal samples can reveal DNA methylation or other genetic markers that indicate endometrial, ovarian, vulvar, or vaginal cancers in women who are at risk or have postmenopausal bleeding.

    Recruiting Universiteit Antwerpen · Edegem, Antwerp · NCT07902375

  • Radiotherapy for gynecologic cancer with up to 10 metastatic sites

    This registry follows adults with gynecologic cancer who have 1 to 10 active metastatic lesions and are treated with radiotherapy as part of routine care to see how such treatments work in real-world settings.

    Recruiting Affidea Nu-med Center of Oncological DIagnostics and Therapy · Zamość · NCT07883798

  • EHR-based approach to boost HBOC genetic testing in at-risk women

    A new EHR tool-based program tests whether computer prompts and real patient resources can help more women with family histories of breast or ovarian cancer get HBOC genetic testing.

    Recruiting Columbia University · New York, New York · NCT07876349

How to take part

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Last reviewed 2026-11-14 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.