Dr. Moore on Unanswered Questions With PARP Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer

Kathleen Moore, MD, director, Oklahoma TSET Phase I Program, and associate professor, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, Stephenson Cancer Center, poses unanswered questions pertaining to the use and reuse of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer treatment.

One pressing question in the field has to do with what should be done after a patient progresses on a PARP inhibitor, says Moore. More insight is needed to understand whether that progression is due to developed resistance. If this is the case, Moore asks, “Should these patients not be given PARP inhibitors in the future or are there other strategies that can be used to overcome that resistance?”

Although PARP inhibitors show promise in extending progression-free survival in this space, they may not be appropriate for every woman with ovarian cancer, she adds. Some patients with BRCA mutations or other clinical biomarkers may not derive benefit from this approach. As such, another unanswered question is whether tests can be done, or biomarkers can be identified, that could help inform appropriate selection for and sequencing of these agents.

In the United States, more women are living with ovarian cancer than ever before; this because sequenced therapies are allowing for patients to live longer, explains Moore. Early use of these therapies, as well as the development of clinical trials, could be key to combatting recurrent disease, she concludes.