9. PARP inhibitors for maintenance therapy in ovarian cancer
Poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors block damaged DNA repair in tumor cells, which can increase cell death in tumors that have deficient repair mechanisms.
Recent advances in ovarian cancer treatment have shown that PARP inhibitors have improved progression-free survival and are being approved for first-line maintenance therapy in advanced-stage disease, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“We have a tough time managing ovarian cancer. It takes up a lot of our time,” Dr. Chad Michener, a staff member in the OB/GYN department at the Cleveland Clinic said. “We expect a recurrence, so anything we can do to reduce that is great.”
There are large-scale trials currently underway using PARP inhibitors that are slated to improve outcomes in cancer therapy. Outcomes have shown 12-16 months of delayed recurrence. Side effects of the therapy include nausea, bone marrow toxicity and fatigue, but for the most part they’re “pretty tolerable” Michener said.