Ovarian Cancer

Patients with <em>BRCA</em>-proficient ovarian cancer who were treated with a carboplatin desensitization regimen had an improved overall survival (OS), according to a retrospective analysis reported at the 2017 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting.

Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, discusses results of the phase III NOVA trial showed the PARP inhibitor niraparib demonstrated an improvement in PFS versus placebo as a maintenance therapy for patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Ursula A. Matulonis, MD, discusses the secondary efficacy results of the NOVA trial, which examines niraparib maintenance therapy for patients with ovarian cancer.

Alon Altman, MD, associate professor, Department of Obstertrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of Manitoba, discusses neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with high-grade serous carcinoma. Across the world, many centers have shifted to more patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery and further chemotherapy.

Alon Altman, MD, discusses a study that examined the effects of number of neoadjuvant chemotherapy cycles on patient outcomes.

Results of a recent phase III trial suggested that the PARP inhibitor niraparib warrants consideration for patients with recurrent, platinum-sensitive, high-grade ovarian cancer, irrespective of <em>BRCA</em> status, a reviewer of the study concluded.

Jubilee Brown, MD, obstetrician-gynecologist, Levine Cancer Institute, Carolinas HealthCare System, discusses genetic counseling for patients with breast and ovarian cancer.

Patients with ovarian cancer who were treated at the highest volume centers had superior overall survival but also higher readmission rates compared with lower volume hospitals, casting doubt on the value of this measure for patients with cancer.

During the Society for Gynecologic Oncology 48th Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, Jubilee Brown, MD,&nbsp;offered advice on where to access this counseling and why it is so important for women with ovarian cancer to advocate for genetic testing.&nbsp;

Patients with relapsed, platinum-sensitive, high-grade, ovarian cancer saw activity with the PARP inhibitor rucaparib, according to findings from the ARIEL2 study presented at the Society for Gynecologic Oncology 48th Annual Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland.&nbsp;

Hypermethylation of 2 wild-type tumor-associated genes increased ovarian cancer responsiveness to the PARP inhibitor rucaparib, according to a subgroup analysis of the randomized ARIEL2 trial presented at the 2017 Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women&rsquo;s Cancer.

A new analysis of a randomized phase II trial showed PARP inhibitor rucaparib slowed progression of relapsed <em>BRCA</em>-mutant ovarian cancer regardless of whether the mutations were somatic or germline.

The much anticipated initial results of the Gynecologic Oncology Group 252 trial failed to provide additional clarity for the use of intravenous versus intraperitoneal chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer.

The number of futile laparotomies was reduced with diagnostic laparoscopy in patients with suspected advanced-stage ovarian cancer, according to the results of a recent study.

Douglas A. Levine, MD, discusses the relationship between <em>EMSY</em> and <em>BRCA</em>, the potential to target <em>EMSY</em> amplified tumors with PARP inhibitors, and the future of ovarian cancer treatment.

Maurie Markman, MD, president of Medicine and Science, Eastern Regional Medical Center, discusses immune targeting in ovarian cancer.

A new drug application (NDA) for niraparib has been granted priority review by the FDA for use as a maintenance therapy in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have responded to platinum-based chemotherapy, according to Tesaro, the manufacturer of the PARP 1/2 inhibitor.

The FDA has approved rucaparib (Rubraca) as a treatment for patients with&nbsp;<em>BRCA</em>-positive advanced ovarian cancer who have received at least 2 prior lines of chemotherapy.

Michael Birrer, MD, PhD, director, Medical Gynecologic Oncology Director, Gynecologic Oncology Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, discusses the current and emerging roles of PARP inhibition in ovarian cancer.

The FDA has expanded the approval for bevacizumab (Avastin) in ovarian cancer to include patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent disease as part of a combination regimen with chemotherapy followed by continued use of the angiogenesis inhibitor, according to Genentech, which developed the drug.

Significant progress is being made in the treatment of gynecologic malignancies, especially in ovarian cancer, according to Douglas A. Levine, MD.

Susan Lutgendorf, PhD, professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The University of Iowa, discusses a study investigating the effects of stress on immune response and tumor microenvironment in ovarian cancer and other cancer types.

With olaparib approved and niraparib and rucaparib advancing through clinical development, PARP inhibition is becoming a valuable option in the ovarian cancer armamentarium.

The use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer has risen dramatically in recent years, improving quality of life for patients and reducing morbidity, but challenges remain for oncologists looking to deploy this treatment approach in clinical practice.

In a recent study, single-agent olaparib (Lynparza) significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) compared with placebo in the maintenance setting for patients with advanced <em>BRAF</em>-positive ovarian cancer.