Dr. Moore Discusses Combinations in Ovarian Cancer

Kathleen N. Moore, MD, assistant professor, Stephenson Cancer Center, The University of Oklahoma, discusses combinations in the treatment of patients with ovarian cancer.

There is a lot of basic and translational science that supports the use of combinations of immunotherapy and VEGF inhibitors, says Moore. VEGF is a proangiogenic molecule, but it is immuno-suppressive, so it directly and indirectly inhibits the immune response to cancer, Moore says. Combining a VEGF-targeted agent with an anti—PD-1/PD-L1 agent may prevent the tumor from evading immune response.

Additionally, there are several combinations that are of interest in ovarian cancer and other solid tumors. These combinations include immune agents plus antiangiogenic agents, PARP inhibitors or other DNA-damaged response inhibitors, cytotoxic chemotherapy, and immune agents in combinations with other immune agents. Moore says that investigators are capitalizing on different aspects of the immune system with these combinations.