Britt Erickson, MD, assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (OBGYN), University of Minnesota Medical School, discusses the toxicity profiles of available PARP inhibitors used in the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer. 

If a patient is going to receive bevacizumab (Avastin) maintenance therapy in addition to PARP inhibitor maintenance treatment, olaparib (Lynparza) may represent a favorable option with regard to toxicities, according to Erickson. Toxicities associated with PARP inhibitors are well known, and niraparib (Zejula) often leads to more instances of thrombocytopenia, although this can be mitigated by reduced dosing for select groups of patients, Erickson explains. 

Some differences in safety profile exist between olaparib and niraparib, primarily with regard bone marrow toxicity, changes in creatinine, and fatigue. These differences may help inform selection among these 2 therapies, Erickson concludes. 

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Britt Erickson, MD, discusses the toxicity profiles of available PARP inhibitors used in the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer. 

Dr. Erickson on the Varying Safety Profiles of Select PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer 

Britt Erickson, MD, assistant professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health (OBGYN), University of Minnesota Medical School, discusses the benefit of PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy in patients with 

Several trials have confirmed that this approach benefits patients with 

-mutated ovarian cancer, according to Erickson. As such, all patients with a germline or somatic 

 mutation should be offered maintenance therapy; however, the optimal agent to leverage is still unclear, Erickson adds. 

Clinical trials continue to demonstrate impressive hazard ratios (HRs) with PARP inhibitors in patients whose tumors harbor 

 mutations. For example, the phase 3 SOLO-1 trial (NCT01844986), which investigated maintenance olaparib (Lynparza) in patients with 

-mutated ovarian cancer, demonstrated a HR of 0.30, which signified an improvement in progression-free survival over placebo, Erickson says. Overall survival data have not been released yet, but the benefit in the up-front setting for this patient population is encouraging, Erickson concludes.

Britt Erickson, MD, discusses the benefit of PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy in patients with BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer.

Britt Erickson, MD

Articles

Dr. Erickson on the Varying Safety Profiles of Select PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer

Dr. Erickson on PARP Inhibitor Maintenance Therapy in BRCA-Mutated Ovarian Cancer