Paclitaxel, Cisplatin, and Veliparib in Treating Patients With Advanced, Persistent, or Recurrent Cervical Cancer

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) and dose-limiting toxicities of ABT-888 (veliparib) when combined with cisplatin and paclitaxel in women with advanced, persistent, or recurrent cervical cancer. II. To examine the safety of administering ABT-888 when combined with cisplatin and paclitaxel. III. Once the recommended phase II dose is established, to estimate the efficacy of cisplatin, paclitaxel, and ABT-888 with respect to objective tumor response in patients with advanced, persistent, or recurrent carcinoma of the cervix. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To examine the effects of this regimen on progression-free survival and overall survival. TERTIARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the proportion of patients with advanced, persistent, or recurrent cancer of the cervix whose tumors demonstrate loss of the Fanconi anemia group D2 (FancD2) foci formation. III. To determine the association between loss of FancD2 foci formation and progression-free survival, overall survival, and response in this patient population. OUTLINE: This is a phase I, dose-escalation study of veliparib followed by a phase II study. Patients receive paclitaxel intravenously (IV) over 3 hours on day 1, cisplatin IV over 1 hour on day 2, and veliparib orally (PO) on days 1-7. Courses repeat every 21 days in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. After completion of study treatment, patients are followed up every 3 months for 2 years and then every 6 months for 3 years.