Benefit of Maintenance Olaparib in Patients With Ovarian Cancer

Charlie Gourley, PhD, MBChB, chair and honorary consultant in Medical Oncology at Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre in the United Kingdom, discusses a study comparing the use of olaparib (Lynparza) after chemotherapy with placebo after chemotherapy in patients with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

While it has already been demonstrated that olaparib improves time to progression and risk of recurrence, this study explored whether the PARP inhibitor affects survival, Gourley explains. Results of the trial showed that there was a 27% reduction in the risk of death with olaparib. For patients who harbored a BRCA1/2 mutation, there was a 38% reduction in the risk of death with the agent.

Additionally, there are approximately 10% to 15% of patients who remain on olaparib for more than 5 years, he adds, which is a new statistic for patients with relapsed ovarian cancer. There were also no new long-term adverse events associated with olaparib.