Dr. Chase on Utilizing Genetic Testing to Guide Treatment Decisions in Ovarian Cancer

Dana Chase, MD, FACOG, a gynecologic oncologist at Arizona Oncology, and an assistant professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, discusses the importance of utilizing genetic testing to guide treatment decisions for patients with ovarian cancer.

Over the past few years, the frontline treatment of patients with ovarian cancer has changed with the emergence of new options in the armamentarium, according to Chase. Treatment decisions can be made more rapidly, directly after biopsy or surgery, when genetic testing is performed and results are obtained, Chase says.

Utilizing certain biomarkers to guide treatment at diagnosis is a significant shift in the treatment of this population, Chase notes. The exact course of treatment for each patient can vary; however, there are options that can be impactful if they are chosen based on genetic or homologous recombination deficiency testing results, Chase concludes.