The Treatment Options For Tennis Great Chris Evert, 71, As Ovarian Cancer Returns: ‘I Will Stay Optimistic and Determined’

“I have already undergone surgery as the first step in my treatment and recovery, and will begin chemotherapy in the coming weeks.”

Evert, 71, was first diagnosed with stage 1 ovarian cancer in 2021 and underwent a preventative hysterectomy followed by chemotherapy before reaching remission—this diagnosis marks her third battle with the disease.

It’s important to note that most women, around 80 percent who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer, will respond positively to their first round of treatment and go into remission. However, despite that encouraging response, more than 80% of women will eventually face a recurrence, meaning the cancer returns after a period of remission, according to the National Cancer Institute.

After noting how she will not be attending the 2026 Wimbledon Championships, the oldest, and arguably most famous tennis tournament in the world, Evert continued, “I will step back from my professional commitments over the next few months to focus on my health.”

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A post shared by Chris Evert (@chrissieevert)

She concluded, “Ovarian cancer is relentless, but I will stay optimistic and determined in continuing to fight this battle.

“I am deeply grateful to my medical team, my family, friends and everyone who has reached out with kindness and encouragement. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon.”

Fans were quick to offer sweet words as Evert embarks on her cancer recurrence journey, with one commenting, “You’ll be just fine just like me. I’ve had two recurrences in my initial diagnosis in 2004 and 2009 and again in 2018 we are strong and the research thank God has helped to prolong our lives. I’m a 22 year survivor. You will be just fine.”

Another wrote, “Thank you for sharing your health journey. Believe me when I say that you have helped countless women who are dealing with ovarian cancer and other cancer. Too many people in the public eye shy away from sharing their story and thus lose an opportunity to help countless people. You are my hero @chrissieevert and always will be.”

“An army of us around the world have hands and our hearts in prayer fashion as we witness our champion Chrissy kick this straight into nowhere. Feel the power everyday,” commented a third fan.

Understanding Chris Evert’s Ovarian Cancer Journey

Chris Evert first disclosed her diagnosis for stage 1 ovarian cancer in 2022.

After undergoing treatment, she reached remission as no evidence of the disease was present during scans at the time.

She later revealed the cancer returned in December 2023.

“I wanted to give you all an update. My cancer is back,” Evert announced on X in a joint post with ESPN, explaining why she would not be a part of ESPN’s 2024 Australian Open coverage.

“While this is a diagnosis I never wanted to hear, I once again feel fortunate that it was caught early.”

As Evert is facing ovarian cancer for the third time, it’s helpful to understand that cancer can recur even after surgery because some cancer cells are left behind after treatment. Those cells grow over time and are eventually detected in follow-up scans received by patients in remission.

“For many patients, that relapse comes one to two years after they complete their first therapies,” Dr. Gillian Hsieh, gynecologic oncologist at Sutter Bay Medical Foundation in the Bay Area in California, previously told SurvivorNet.

The changes of the cancer returning depends, in part, on its stage and grade. People who are diagnosed at stage I, when the cancer is confined to the ovaries, have a much lower chance of a recurrence than those who are diagnosed with a stage IV cancer, which has spread outside of the abdomen.

While a cancer’s stages are defined by location, the tumor’s grade describes its biology. A high-grade tumor has more abnormal cells, and tends to be more aggressive than a low-grade tumor, “and so it has a lot of opportunities to mutate and to overcome the effects of previously successful treatments,” Dr. Hsieh said.

Treatment Options for Cancer Recurrence

Treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer is personalized, with newer targeted drugs and immunotherapy options selected based on the cancer’s molecular features and whether a patient qualifies for clinical trials.

RELATED: Newly Approved Ovarian Cancer Treatment Combination With The Drug Lifyorli Helps Give Time After Relapse

The type of treatment you receive for a recurrence can depend on a number of factors. Two of the most important:

• The length of time between your last treatment and the recurrence
• The type of chemotherapy you had in the past

Oncologists classify recurrent ovarian cancer according to how quickly it returns after platinum-based chemotherapy — a distinction that drives nearly every treatment decision.

RELATED: Fighting ‘Platinum Resistant’ Ovarian Cancer

Understanding Platinum Sensitivity

• Platinum-Sensitive: If the cancer comes back more than 12 months after finishing platinum treatment, it is called fully platinum-sensitive. If it returns between 6 and 12 months, it is called partially platinum-sensitive.In both situations, the cancer is more likely to respond again to platinum-based chemotherapy, so doctors often use the same type of platinum treatment again.
• Platinum-Resistant: If the cancer comes back within six months after finishing platinum-based treatment, it is considered platinum-resistant. Treatment usually moves away from platinum chemotherapy to other drug options, and patients are often encouraged to explore clinical trial opportunities.
• Platinum-Refractory: A separate and more serious category applies when the cancer grows or fails to respond while the patient is still on platinum-based chemotherapy. This form of disease is linked to a particularly poor outlook, with median survival often under five months. Patients are generally transitioned to non-platinum therapies and may also be considered for clinical trial participation.

How Recurrence Is Managed

Women dealing with a recurrence will likely undergo chemotherapy again, like Evert, and their care team may also recommend adding one or more targeted agents. Two of the most commonly discussed options are:

• Bevacizumab (Avastin): An anti-angiogenic drug that works by blocking a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which tumors need to grow new blood vessels. By cutting off this blood supply, the drug starves the tumor and may slow its growth.
• PARP Inhibitors: A class of drugs that exploit a weakness in cancer cells with defective DNA repair machinery. PARP stands for poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. PARP inhibitors are options for women as maintenance therapy after first chemotherapy or platinum sensitive recurrence, or as treatment for recurrence. The benefit a woman may see from this class of medication varies greatly, with the biggest determinant being the presence of an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA.

How To Manage A Recurrence Of Ovarian Cancer

Adjusting Chemotherapy Strategies

For platinum-sensitive recurrence, doctors often use a platinum-based two-drug combination again. This usually includes carboplatin paired with another chemotherapy drug such as paclitaxel, gemcitabine, or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin.

For platinum-resistant disease, common chemotherapy options include:

• Taxol (Paclitaxel) — These treatments are sometimes given on a weekly schedule instead of every three weeks to help improve their effectiveness in platinum-resistant disease settings.
• Gemzar (gemcitabine)
• Topotecan
• Doxil (liposomal doxorubicin)

These treatments are sometimes given together with Avastin (bevacizumab), a drug that is FDA-approved to be used alongside chemotherapy for platinum-resistant, recurrent ovarian cancer.

Elahere: Another Option For Ovarian Cancer Recurrence

Meanwhile, Elahere (drug name mirvetuximab) was approved in November 2022 by the FDA for women with ovarian cancer who have received one to three prior systemic treatment regimens and have a high level of what’s called folate-receptor alpha.

“FRα” stands for Folate-Receptor Alpha, which is a protein that may be found in ovarian cancer. Elahere works by attaching to the folate receptor-alpha (FRα) protein. Once inside the tumor cells, the drug releases chemotherapy, which stops the cancer cells from growing and replicating, doctors say.

In a clinical trial more than one-third of patients (36%) receiving Elahere (who had previously been treated with a drug called bevacizumab) experienced improved progression-free survival and more than one-fourth (26%) experienced improved overall survival.

The SORAYA and MIRASOL trials showed that Elahere helped slow tumor growth and improve outcomes in some women with FRα-positive, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Compared with standard chemotherapy, patients also saw longer progression-free survival and, in some groups, improved overall survival.

FDA-Approved PARP Inhibitors:

PARP inhibitors are currently FDA-approved in ovarian cancer in several contexts:

• As maintenance therapy following a response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy
• As maintenance therapy following platinum-sensitive recurrence
• As treatment for recurrence, depending on prior therapies and BRCA or HRD status

The three PARP inhibitors that have been approved for ovarian cancer in the United States are:

• Lynparza (olaparib): Approved for maintenance treatment in patients with BRCA-mutated advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer who have responded to platinum-based chemotherapy. Also approved in combination with bevacizumab for HRD-positive advanced ovarian cancer.
• Zejula (niraparib): Approved as maintenance therapy for recurrent ovarian cancer regardless of BRCA mutation status, based on the PRIMA trial results.
• Rubraca (rucaparib): Was previously FDA-approved for BRCA-mutated or HRD-positive recurrent ovarian cancer.

Remember, since PARP inhibitors can cause different side effects than other treatments, it’s important to talk with your doctor about their experience in managing these side effects before starting therapy.

WATCH: How your ovarian cancer responds to certain types of chemotherapies guides your future treatments.

Immunotherapy and Microsatellite Instability

Doctors can test a tumor for a feature called microsatellite instability (MSI). This test helps determine whether immunotherapy may be a good treatment option, the National Cancer Institute explains.

Tumors that are “MSI-high” have more genetic changes than typical tumors, and because of these changes, the immune system can recognize them more easily, meaning they are more likely to respond to immunotherapy drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Right now, immunotherapy doesn’t work well for most ovarian cancers. This is because most ovarian tumors are “microsatellite-stable,” meaning they don’t have many genetic changes. As a result, the immune system is less likely to recognize them or mount a strong response.

Immunotherapy is designed to block the cancer’s protective signals, allowing white blood cells to recognize and attack the cancer cells properly. Interestingly, cancer cells themselves aren’t always hard to destroy, but they multiply rapidly. Immunotherapy helps the immune system keep the cancer in check before it can spread further. It’s essential to remember that immunotherapy may not be effective for everyone.

Researchers are still trying to find better ways to use immunotherapy for ovarian cancer. One strategy being tested is combining it with other treatments in clinical trials.

If a tumor is “MSI-high,” patients should ask their oncologist whether immunotherapy or a clinical trial might be a possible treatment option.

Secondary Surgery & Clinical Trials

Secondary cytoreductive surgery — a procedure to remove recurrent tumor deposits — is sometimes recommended for select patients, particularly those with platinum-sensitive disease, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Clinical trials are also an option for women facing ovarian cancer with a high probability of recurrence. If you fall into this category, ask your doctor about possible clinical trial eligibility.

These trials help doctors better understand cancer and discover more effective treatment methods. They also allow patients to try a treatment before it’s approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which can potentially be life-changing.

A phase 1 BEHOLD-1 clinical trial is evaluating mocertatug rezetecan (Mo-Rez), a B7-H4–targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), in patients with advanced solid tumors, including platinum-resistant ovarian and endometrial cancers.

“The study target applies to about 95 percent of these patient types (tumor agnostic/all comers), which is encouraging news for patients,” said Dr. Premal Thaker, a gynecologic oncologist and surgeon at Siteman Cancer Center at WashU Medicine.

Although Mo-Rez’s journey toward approval is only in phase one, there is a lot of optimism among clinicians.

“Further studies are in progress, which will hopefully lead to FDA approval of this new antibody-drug conjugate and give clinicians another effective option for our patients who suffer from these diseases,” says Dr. Ronald Alvarez, Chairman of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

Genetic Testing and Ovarian Cancer

Genetic testing—analyzing a patient’s DNA or biopsy tissue—can reveal critical insights about cancer: how it forms, how it behaves, and how best to treat it.

“There are certain cancer-causing genes that can be passed down from generation to generation,” explains Dr. Derrick Haslem, the director of medical oncology at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City.

As researchers uncover more about these inherited mutations, they’re not only pinpointing who might be most at risk—they’re also refining how cancers are detected and treated.

When it comes to ovarian cancer, this information is especially vital.

WATCH: What genetic testing reveals about your cancer?

“There are a lot of mutations that put people at a higher risk for ovarian cancer,” says Dr. Haslem. That’s why your medical team asks about your family history—because genetic red flags can run in families. “If you have a family history of ovarian cancer or breast cancer, that’s a really important thing to bring up with your healthcare provider.”

Mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are among the most common genetic links to ovarian cancer. Another factor, homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), can occur in women with BRCA mutations and further disrupts the cells’ ability to repair their DNA.

If you do have a strong family history, your doctor may recommend testing for BRCA mutations or other inherited syndromes like Lynch syndrome, which can also increase risk for ovarian, colorectal, and breast cancers.

Sometimes, testing positive for a high-risk mutation may lead to conversations about preventive steps. “If you were tested and you had that gene, then somebody might talk to you about prophylactic surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes,” says Dr. Haslem. This kind of preventive surgery can significantly reduce future cancer risk in those genetically predisposed.

Beyond risk assessment, genetic findings also guide treatment. “Certain chemotherapies and targeted therapies are much more effective in those types of cases,” Dr. Haslem adds. For example, PARP inhibitors—designed to block DNA repair in cancer cells—have shown strong results in patients with BRCA mutations and HRD.

Ultimately, genetic testing isn’t just about knowing your risk—it’s a tool that helps tailor treatment and potentially saves lives.

Questions for Your Doctor

If you’ve been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and are looking for ways to better understand your disease and treatment options, here are some key questions to bring to your doctor.

RELATED: For Women With Few Options, the New Ovarian Cancer Drug In Development, ‘Mo-Rez’ Outperforms Current Standards With 60% Response Rates, Offering the First Real Hope In Years

You can also turn to SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions,” which helps patients and caregivers navigate a new diagnosis and prepare thoughtful, personalized questions for their care team.

• What type of ovarian cancer do I have?
• What stage is my cancer in?
• Do you recommend I get genetic testing for any gene mutations, such as the BRCA gene mutation?
• What initial treatment options do you recommend?
• What are the possible side effects of the recommended treatment, and how can they be coped with?
• Will insurance help cover my recommended treatment?

WATCH: A New Wave of Cancer Patients Using SurvivorNet’s My Health AI Tools For Support

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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