Imatinib Mesylate (Gleevec) and Paclitaxel in Recurrent Patients of Ovarian and Other Cancers of Mullerian Origin

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients at least 18 years of age.

• Histologically documented diagnosis of epithelial carcinoma arising in the ovary, fallopian tube or peritoneum, of any stage or grade at diagnosis. *Patients must have received initial cytoreductive surgery and chemotherapy with at least one platinum based chemotherapy regimen.

  *Eligible platinum resistant patients will have failed no more than two additional non platinum cytotoxic regimens for their persistent or recurrent disease.

• Measurable disease.
• Performance status 0, 1, 2 (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) .
• Adequate end organ function, defined as the following: total bilirubin < 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN), SGOT and SGPT < 2.5 x UNL, creatinine < 1.5 x ULN, ANC > 1.0 x 10E9/L, platelets > 100 x 10E9/L.
• Written, voluntary informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient has received any other anticancer treatment within 21 days of first day of study drug dosing and shown recovery of any recent drug-induced neutropenia and thrombocytopenia.
• Patient has another primary malignancy that has required active intervention within 5 years, with the exception of basal cell skin cancer or a cervical carcinoma in situ.
• Patient with Grade III/IV cardiac problems as defined by the New York Heart Association Criteria (i.e., congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction within 6 months of study).
• Patient has a severe and/or uncontrolled medical disease (i.e., uncontrolled diabetes, chronic renal disease, or active uncontrolled infection).
• Patients on coumadin-derived anticoagulants.
• Patient with brain metastasis.
• Chronic liver disease, Hep B or C.
• Patient has a known diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
• Patient received chemotherapy within 3 weeks -unless the disease is rapidly progressing.
• Patient previously received radiotherapy to at least 25 % of the bone marrow.
• Patient had a major surgery within 2 weeks prior to study entry.
• Patient with any significant history of non-compliance to medical regimens or with inability to grant reliable informed consent.
• Patient is on any drug that may interfere with Gleevec (e.g., Dilantin, Coumadin,or others on the list on page 33-37 of the protocol).