Upfront Maintenance Poly(Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitors in Ovarian Cancer: A Ray of Hope or Just a Mirage!

Abstract

Poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPis), when used in patients harboring tumor with homologous recombination deficiency, with or without BRCA mutation, have shown favorable outcomes in relapsed, advanced metastatic breast and ovarian cancers. Olaparib, niraparib, and rucaparib have been approved as maintenance therapy in platinum-sensitive, relapsed, high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) responsive to platinum doublet. Olaparib and rucaparib as monotherapy are also indicated in patients who have progressed on three or more lines of chemotherapy, irrespective of platinum sensitivity, in germline or somatic BRCA 1/2-mutated, PARPi-naive patients. Recently, four large multicentric, international Phase III randomized clinical trials have reported outcomes of PARPi in first-line advanced EOC as maintenance therapy either alone or in combination with bevacizumab. Previously bevacizumab, pazopanib, nindetanib, or maintenance chemotherapy in first-line setting has resulted in modest improvements in progression free survival, albeit with significant toxicities and poor cost-effectiveness. We offer in this review to dissect the data pertaining to randomized clinical trials of PARPi use as maintenance therapy in upfront EOCs and ruminate about its role in the contemporary management of ovarian cancers.

Keywords

Epithelial ovarian cancer - maintenance therapy - poly (adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase inhibitors

Publication History

Received: 07 January 2020

Accepted: 02 February 2020

Article published online:
23 May 2021

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