Dr. Charlie Gourley on Olaparib Maintenance in Ovarian Cancer

Charlie Gourley, PhD, MBChB, chair and honorary consultant in Medical Oncology at Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre in the United Kingdom, discuses olaparib (Lynparza), which was recently investigated in a phase II Study 19 trial versus placebo as a maintenance therapy for patients with relapsed platinum-sensitive serous ovarian cancer.

The drug really works, says Gourley. The study was designed to look at progression-free survival (PFS), and, unequivocally, it clearly showed that this drug improved PFS, he says.

There is also a potential improvement in overall survival (OS), but that is yet to be determined.

Oncologists really need to be checking the BRCA1 and BRCA2 status of their patients, and then if they have a mutation, they should think about the potential of giving them olaparib.