The new class of ovarian cancer drugs called PARP inhibitors, which so far includes olaparib, rucaparib, and niraparib, is giving women — especially those with specific tumor makeups — an exciting sense of hope. Currently, PARP inhibitors are usually only given to women who carry a BRCA mutation, but due to the results of a major new study, doctors believe this type of drug will be approved for many more women with ovarian cancer in the very near future.
To determine when — and whether — you are eligible for one of these promising drugs, your gynecologic oncologist will likely recommend a series of tests to see whether your cancer cells have the right characteristics, and to what degree.
If your doctor does not bring up PARP inhibitors early-on during the course of your treatment, you should absolutely ask. Having this conversation could be vital to your long-term and progression-free survival, and unfortunately, only 50% of women today who are eligible for PARP inhibitors actually end up receiving them.
Poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor drugs work by preventing cancer cells that have been damaged — often during the course of chemotherapy treatment — from naturally healing. Because the drugs work by blocking the healing process, they were typically used in the “maintenance” period of ovarian cancer treatment, after a woman has already undergone chemotherapy and possibly surgery. When used as maintenance therapy, PARP inhibitors can potentially prevent recurrence and prolong remission — possibly forever.
Having said that, the effect a PARP inhibitor may have on your specific ovarian cancer will vary greatly depending on the specific genetic makeup of your tumor — making it necessary for your doctor to carefully choose the right time to prescribe one of these drugs.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Colleen McCormick is a gynecologic oncologist with Legacy Cancer Institute. Read More
The new class of ovarian cancer drugs called PARP inhibitors, which so far includes olaparib, rucaparib, and niraparib, is giving women — especially those with specific tumor makeups — an exciting sense of hope. Currently, PARP inhibitors are usually only given to women who carry a BRCA mutation, but due to the results of a major new study, doctors believe this type of drug will be approved for many more women with ovarian cancer in the very near future.
To determine when — and whether — you are eligible for one of these promising drugs, your gynecologic oncologist will likely recommend a series of tests to see whether your cancer cells have the right characteristics, and to what degree.
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If your doctor does not bring up PARP inhibitors early-on during the course of your treatment, you should absolutely ask. Having this conversation could be vital to your long-term and progression-free survival, and unfortunately, only 50% of women today who are eligible for PARP inhibitors actually end up receiving them.
Poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor drugs work by preventing cancer cells that have been damaged — often during the course of chemotherapy treatment — from naturally healing. Because the drugs work by blocking the healing process, they were typically used in the “maintenance” period of ovarian cancer treatment, after a woman has already undergone chemotherapy and possibly surgery. When used as maintenance therapy, PARP inhibitors can potentially prevent recurrence and prolong remission — possibly forever.
Having said that, the effect a PARP inhibitor may have on your specific ovarian cancer will vary greatly depending on the specific genetic makeup of your tumor — making it necessary for your doctor to carefully choose the right time to prescribe one of these drugs.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Colleen McCormick is a gynecologic oncologist with Legacy Cancer Institute. Read More
