Using PARP Inhibitors For Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer specialists around the country are increasingly excited about the new treatment possibility of PARP inhibitors, and one reason is that more and more research is finding that there is some benefit for many different kinds of patients.

Previously, PARP inhibitors were primarily used in women whose disease had returned, or as part of an ongoing course of treatment called maintenance therapy. However, this class of drug has recently been shown to provide benefit for patients with ovarian cancer as part of an initial plan of treatment.

One of the key things to know about PARP inhibitors is that your genetic makeup and specific features of your cancer will have a significant impact on how effective these drugs may be. Experts tell SurvivorNet that every women with ovarian cancer should get a genetic test to determine if they have a mutation called BRCA, because the mutation enables PARP inhibitors to function much more powerfully. Importantly, there is increasing data that even women without BRCA mutations can still derive some benefit from these drugs.

Again, it’s really important to know that many doctors are still getting comfortable with PARP inhibitors, and because the research is developing so quickly, your genetic makeup and the stage of your cancer may well make you a potential candidate.

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