Dr. O'Malley on the Optimal Use of PARP Inhibitors in Advanced Ovarian Cancer

David O’Malley, MD, professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—The James, discusses the optimal use of PARP inhibitors as frontline maintenance therapy in patients with advanced ovarian cancer.

Investigators are still trying to define the patient populations that are best suited to receive PARP inhibitors, says O’Malley. Currently, olaparib (Lynparza) is approved for use as frontline maintenance in patients with somatic and germline BRCA1/2 mutations. If niraparib (Zejula) is approved for use in all-comers per the results of the phase III PRIMA trial, it could potentially replace bevacizumab (Avastin), explains O’Malley.

Additionally, given the results of the phase III PAOLA-1 trial, the question of whether all-comers should receive the combination of olaparib and bevacizumab is raised. Moreover, once the role of veliparib is established, the next question will be whether to use veliparib in combination with chemotherapy, concludes O’Malley.