Ovarian cancers begin in the fallopian tubes and ovaries of women, and some types of ovarian cancer come about through inherited genetic mutations, or mutations passed down from family members. These mutations could determine the therapies you receive during your treatment. We spoke to Dr. Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, gynecologic oncologist from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, about these hereditary mutations and how they affect PARP inhibitors, an exciting new treatment in ovarian cancer.
According to Dr. Rauh-Hain, “Some of [ovarian] cancers, around 20% of them, have a hereditary component.” This commonly comes in the form of a BRCA mutation, the same genetic mutation that is a risk factor for breast cancer. If an ovarian cancer is caused by a BRCA mutation, then a PARP inhibitor, a treatment that targets cancer cells, could be an effective treatment. Why are women with BRCA mutations most susceptible to PARP inhibitor treatment? Tumor cells with BRCA mutations have problems repairing DNA already, and the PARP inhibitors make that worse, causing cancer cells to die. “What we have seen,” says Dr. Rauh-Hain, “is that if patients have those kind of mutations….if they receive those medications the chances of the cancer coming back are much lower, and the patients that have received those medications actually live longer.”
Are PARP inhibitors used at one point in treatment? Until recently, PARP inhibitors have been used for women who have undergone surgery and 4-6 rounds of previous chemotherapy. Emerging data from clinical trials, however, now supports the use of these inhibitors upfront, as part of the initial course of treatment, in patients with BRCA mutations.
While PARP inhibitors are now available to almost all women, women with BRCA gene mutations or who are HRD proficient may benefit the most from these drugs. However, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released new guidelines recommending PARP inhibitors be offered to women, with or without genetic mutations, who are newly diagnosed with stage III or IV ovarian cancer and have improved with chemotherapy.
Learn more about the side effects of PARP inhibitors here.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Rauh-Hain is a Gynecologic Oncologist on staff at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Read More
Ovarian cancers begin in the fallopian tubes and ovaries of women, and some types of ovarian cancer come about through inherited genetic mutations, or mutations passed down from family members. These mutations could determine the therapies you receive during your treatment. We spoke to Dr. Jose Alejandro Rauh-Hain, gynecologic oncologist from the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Texas, about these hereditary mutations and how they affect PARP inhibitors, an exciting new treatment in ovarian cancer.
According to Dr. Rauh-Hain, “Some of [ovarian] cancers, around 20% of them, have a hereditary component.” This commonly comes in the form of a BRCA mutation, the same genetic mutation that is a risk factor for breast cancer. If an ovarian cancer is caused by a BRCA mutation, then a PARP inhibitor, a treatment that targets cancer cells, could be an effective treatment. Why are women with BRCA mutations most susceptible to PARP inhibitor treatment? Tumor cells with BRCA mutations have problems repairing DNA already, and the PARP inhibitors make that worse, causing cancer cells to die. “What we have seen,” says Dr. Rauh-Hain, “is that if patients have those kind of mutations….if they receive those medications the chances of the cancer coming back are much lower, and the patients that have received those medications actually live longer.”
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Are PARP inhibitors used at one point in treatment? Until recently, PARP inhibitors have been used for women who have undergone surgery and 4-6 rounds of previous chemotherapy. Emerging data from clinical trials, however, now
supports the use of these inhibitors upfront, as part of the initial course of treatment, in patients with BRCA mutations.
While PARP inhibitors are now available to almost all women, women with BRCA gene mutations or who are HRD proficient may benefit the most from these drugs. However, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) released new guidelines recommending PARP inhibitors be offered to women, with or without genetic mutations, who are newly diagnosed with stage III or IV ovarian cancer and have improved with chemotherapy.
Learn more about the side effects of PARP inhibitors here.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
Dr. Rauh-Hain is a Gynecologic Oncologist on staff at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Read More
