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Recent advances in targeting DNA repair pathways for the treatment of ovarian cancer and their clinical relevance

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Abstract

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors have attracted much attention as one of the major molecular-targeted therapeutics for inhibiting DNA damage response. The PARP inhibitor, olaparib, has been clinically applied for treating certain recurrent ovarian cancer patients with BRCA1/2 mutations in Europe and the United States. It was also designated on 24 March 2017 as an orphan drug in Japan for similar clinical indications. In this review, we discuss (i) the prevalence of BRCA1/2 mutations in ovarian cancer, (ii) clinical trials of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer, (iii) genetic counseling for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer patients, and (iv) non-BRCA genes that may be associated with homologous recombination deficiency.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by a research program of the Project for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Evolution (P-CREATE) (to K Oda) from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and development (AMED). We thank Editage for their English editing service (www.editage.com).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Katsutoshi Oda, Michihiro Tanikawa, Kenbun Sone, Mayuyo Mori-Uchino, Yutaka Osuga & Tomoyuki Fujii

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  1. Katsutoshi Oda
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  2. Michihiro Tanikawa
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  3. Kenbun Sone
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  4. Mayuyo Mori-Uchino
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Correspondence to Katsutoshi Oda.

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Oda, K., Tanikawa, M., Sone, K. et al. Recent advances in targeting DNA repair pathways for the treatment of ovarian cancer and their clinical relevance. Int J Clin Oncol 22, 611–618 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-017-1137-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10147-017-1137-7

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