Ovarian Cancer

Jyoti D. Patel, MD, discusses a phase II trial that looked at olaparib in combination with cediranib versus olaparib alone in recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer.

Sean Dowdy, MD, a Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncologist discusses a study showing molecular sequencing could identify ovarian cancer patients who are most likely to benefit from treatment with bevacizumab (Avastin), a Mayo Clinic-led study has found.

At the recent National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) 19th Annual Conference, experts discussed this year's updates to the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology. The meeting also included reviews of NCCN Task Force reports on issues in supportive care. We asked eleven NCCN panel members to select the most significant updates and insights presented at the conference.

Combining the oral targeted agents olaparib and cediranib resulted in a near-doubling of median progression-free survival (PFS) among women with recurrent ovarian cancer in a phase II study highlighted Saturday during the 2014 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

A prospective study found that women with irregular menstrual cycles have a 2.4-fold increased risk of dying from ovarian cancer compared to women with normal menstrual cycles

Ellen T. Matloff, MS, CGC, director, Yale Cancer Genetic Counseling Program at the Yale School of Medicine/Yale Cancer Center, discusses the proper age for a carrier of the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation to undergo oophorectomy.

Genetic counseling-including testing and risk assessment-is one of the most rapidly growing areas of oncology and has become the standard of care for patients with a personal and family history of breast, ovary, or colon cancer.

For the first time, physicians have a clearer understanding of the optimum age for prophylactic oophorectomy in patients with BRCA mutations who want to reduce their risk of ovarian, fallopian tube, and breast cancer.

Bradley Monk, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of Arizona Cancer Center Phoenix Branch, on clinical trial endpoints and the approval of agents for ovarian cancer.

The renaissance in immunology is already affecting treatment paradigms for a variety of gynecologic cancers, and the impact is only likely to expand.

The FDA's rules for approving new drugs for the treatment of women with ovarian cancer pose frustrating problems for researchers developing novel agents and for clinicians seeking to improve outcomes for their patients

Franco M. Muggia, MD, professor of oncology, New York University, director, Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Medical Center, discusses using Doxil to treat ovarian cancer.

Jerry Lanchbury, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, Myriad Genetics, Inc., describes the HRD (homologous recombination deficiency) test.

Antiangiogenic agents hold promise in gynecologic cancers, as evidenced by their single-agent activity in malignancies including ovarian cancer, recurrent endometrial cancer, and cervical cancer.

The genomic instability inherent in serous ovarian cancer poses treatment challenges, but it also represents a target which can be exploited through the use of PARP inhibitors

Bradley J. Monk, MD, gynecologic oncologist, University of Arizona Cancer Center Phoenix Branch, discusses the TRINOVA-1 trial.

Franco M. Muggia, MD, professor of oncology, New York University, director, Division of Medical Oncology, New York University Medical Center, discusses the challenge of developing targeted therapies to treat ovarian cancer.

Mark A. Morgan, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, director, Gynecology Oncology for University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, discusses bulk reduction surgery prior to chemotherapy in patients with stage III ovarian cancer.

Robert A. Burger, MD, Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, Director, Women's Cancer Center, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the toxicity profile of bevacizumab when used to treat patients with ovarian cancer.

James "Tate" T. Thigpen, MD, professor of medicine, director of medical oncology, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, discusses the use of agents in ovarian cancer that are not approved by the FDA.

Michael Birrer, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, director, Gillette Center for Gynecologic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses the role of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer.

Russell J. Schilder, MD, director, Gynecologic Medical Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University, Kimmel Cancer Center, discusses PARP inhibitors and their potential role in gynecologic cancers.

The combination of heat, chemotherapeutic drugs and an innovative delivery system based on nanotechnology may significantly improve the treatment of ovarian cancer while reducing side effects from toxic drugs.

Michael Birrer, MD, PhD, professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, director, Gillette Center for Gynecologic Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital, explains how the endpoints of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) are holding back the approval of drugs for patients with ovarian cancer.

Mark A. Morgan, MD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, University of Pennsylvania, director, Gynecology Oncology for University of Pennsylvania Health Systems, discusses the role of robotic surgery in gynecologic cancer.

Access to Doxil has been inconsistent since mid-2011, when the drug's sole manufacturer announced a voluntary shutdown of production to address significant manufacturing and quality concerns.

Robert A. Burger, MD, FACOG, FACS, Professor, Department of Surgical Oncology, Director, Women's Cancer Center, Fox Chase Cancer Center, discusses the use of bevacizumab in patients with ovarian cancer.

Cancer stem cells are an underlying cause of a tumor's ability to recur and metastasize even after initial treatment. Therefore, targeting those cancer stem cells could prove to be a valuable tool in the treatment of several different tumor types.

James "Tate" T. Thigpen, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Mississippi School of Medicine, discusses the comparison of treatment options in ovarian cancer.

Trebananib added to paclitaxel significantly improved progression-free survival in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer compared with placebo plus paclitaxel in the large international TRINOVA-1 trial.