Dr. Swisher on the Limitations of HRD as a Biomarker in Ovarian Cancer

Elizabeth M. Swisher, MD, a co-leader of the Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research Program at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, a professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Washington School of Medicine, director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at UW Medicine, and affiliate investigator in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, discusses the limitations of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) as a biomarker in ovarian cancer.

Updated findings from the phase III VELIA study demonstrated extended progression-free survival with veliparib (ABT-888) in combination with chemotherapy in patients with BRCA wild-type, high-grade serous carcinoma, irrespective of HRD status.

HRD appears to be a predictive biomarker of response for other PARP inhibitors in this patient population, says Swisher.

Veliparib is thought to potentiate the effects of chemotherapy, explains Swisher. As such, veliparib may function in a different way than when it is utilized alone, says Swisher.

The findings from VELIA require further investigation to determine why patients seem to respond well with this combination, regardless of HRD status, concludes Swisher.