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Treatment of ovarian cancer beyond chemotherapy: Are we hitting the target?

Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology volume 75, pages 221–234 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide among women, and, in developed countries, it is the leading cause of mortality among gynecological malignancies. With an overall cure rate of <40 % across all stages, it comprises a variety of tumors with different histopathological features and biological behavior. Nowadays, OC is considered a general term that designates a group of molecularly and etiologically distinct diseases that share an anatomical location. Approximately 70–80 % of patients with OC will relapse after first-line chemotherapy, and the majority of them will eventually die of chemotherapy-resistant disease. Until now, the management of relapsed OC remains an unmet medical need. Therapy rather depends on tumor stage and grade than on histological type, but there is growing evidence that, as epithelial OC is a heterogeneous disease, it needs a tailored approach based on the underlying molecular genetic changes. Several phase III studies investigating targeted therapies are underway, and a more individual approach for treating OC will be selected in the future. The purpose of this paper was to review the literature in order to highlight available data emerging from trials and to evaluate efficacy and safety of molecularly targeted drugs in OC.

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  1. Instituto Nacional do Câncer, Hospital do Câncer – II, Equador Street, 831, 3º floor – Santo Cristo, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 22220-410, Brazil

    Álvaro Henrique Ingles Garces, Mariane Sousa Fontes Dias, Eduardo Paulino, Carlos Gil Moreira Ferreira & Andréia Cristina de Melo

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Correspondence to Álvaro Henrique Ingles Garces.

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Garces, Á.H.I., Dias, M.S.F., Paulino, E. et al. Treatment of ovarian cancer beyond chemotherapy: Are we hitting the target?. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol 75, 221–234 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-014-2581-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-014-2581-y

Keywords

  • Ovarian cancer
  • Targeted therapies
  • Epithelial ovarian cancer
  • Molecular targets