Compositions and methods for treating cancer in humans are provided using CARs. The invention includes engineered CARs (chimeric receptor antigens) and genetically modified immune cells that express such a CAR with a high affinity for VEGFR. More specifically, the cells are CAR-T cells recognizing VEGFR-2 on solid tumors, uses thereof, compositions thereof and methods of making. The invention includes therapeutic methods to treat VEGFR-2 dependent cancers targeting tumor angiogenesis. A chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that binds to VEGFR-2, an epitope or fragment thereof, or a variant thereof.