Dr. Chon on Challenges With Maintenance Therapy in Ovarian Cancer

Hye Sook Chon, MD, gynecologic oncologist, Moffitt Cancer Center, discusses challenges that are still faced in the maintenance setting in advanced ovarian cancer.

Frontline maintenance strategies are relatively new to the field of ovarian cancer, says Chon. Although PARP inhibitors have been shown to prolong progression-free survival when used as frontline maintenance therapy, the cost-effectiveness, toxicities, and quality of life (QoL) with these agents must also be considered. Typically, at this juncture, patients have already received surgery and chemotherapy, and posing the suggestion to begin maintenance treatment after they believed they were done with therapy is not easy, says Chon.

As long as patients tolerate their chemotherapy relatively well, it’s best to discuss the potential for maintenance therapy sooner rather than later. Patients expect to complete treatment following chemotherapy, but many of them may benefit from maintenance therapy, explains Chon. As such, patients who are counseled on the potential for maintenance therapy during their chemotherapy are less overwhelmed when the time comes for additional treatment, concludes Chon.