Drug Boosts Survival for Women with Advanced Ovarian Cancer
- Women's Cancer Research Foundation
- Aug 5, 2021
- 1 min read
Lynparza (Olaparib), a targeted cancer therapy, has recently shown a meaningful survival benefit after 5 years in advanced-stage ovarian cancer patients who are diagnosed with a BRCA gene mutation. The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are responsible for approximately 25% of ovarian cancer cases.
Lynparza, a PARP inhibitor, blocks an enzyme called PARP, which cancer cells require to repair damage to their genetic material. Ultimately, the PARP inhibitor causes the cancer cells to die.
The study included 391 women (260 received Lynparza and 131 received a placebo) with a BRCA mutation and advanced-stage ovarian cancer who completed chemotherapy. When compared with women on the placebo, more than twice as many women who were treated with Lynparza were still alive with no progression of their cancer five years after the study began.
The new findings, initially reported at the 2021 Society for Gynecologic Oncology Meeting, suggest that treatment with Lynparza has an enduring impact for women with BRCA-positive advanced-stage ovarian cancer. In addition to Lynparza, Zejula (Niraparib) and Rubraca (Rucaparib) are approved PARP inhibitors for the treatment of advanced-stage ovarian cancer.
About Women’s Cancer Research Foundation The Women’s Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) is one of Southern California’s and the nation’s most active research organizations for female cancers. We are dedicated to serving the interests of patients, families, and friends affected by women’s cancers. WCRF partners with physician-scientists nationally to make differences in women’s lives by offering hope, strength, and progress.
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