Dr Moore on Continued Efforts to Utilize Immunotherapy in Ovarian Cancer

Kathleen N. Moore, MD, MS, associate director, Clinical Research, the Stephenson Cancer Center, director, Oklahoma TSET Phase I Program, professor, Section of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, discusses continued efforts to target the immune system in ovarian cancer through the use of immunotherapy, as well as alternative strategies being explored in this tumor type.

Immunotherapies, particularly immune checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) or atezolizumab (Tecentriq), have shown encouraging activity and become new standards of care across several solid tumor types, Moore begins. However, their application in ovarian cancer has yet to yield comparable outcomes, despite extensive clinical trials spanning diverse settings, she says. The limited efficacy of this drug class for patients with ovarian cancer poses a continued challenge for medical oncologists, Moore states, adding that this may be explained by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment surrounding ovarian tumors.

Despite this challenge, clinical trials attempting to harness the immune system through treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors are still ongoing, Moore details. However, the field is evolving to incorporate alternative strategies, she states. Many of these novel investigations are informed by previous trials that have failed to meet their primary end points, Moore notes.

Approaches being explored include vaccinations, oncolytic viruses, and adoptive cell therapies such as CAR T-cell therapy and engineered T-cells, Moore says. Early signals of efficacy have been observed with the latter treatment approach, Moore reports. These have prompted the initiation of larger trials to determine their potential to transform the landscape for women with recurrent ovarian cancer, Moore explains.

This shift in focus acknowledges the need for a tailored approach to targeting the tumor microenvironment. As these strategies continue to be evaluated in clinical trials, there remains optimism about their potential to improve outcomes in recurrent ovarian cancer, Moore concludes.