Ovarian Cancer and Recent Progress in Prognosis and Treatment

Abstract

The nature of ovarian cancer lends itself to difficulties in its diagnosis until the late stages of the disease when treatment has the inability to be as successful as it could be if started in earlier stages. This leads to the frequent relapse of many ovarian cancer patients along with difficulties in treatment. Ovarian cancer is largely prevalent in females and is the most common gynecologic malignancy. Several recent studies have lent themselves to the inquiry of more efficient ways to treat patients of ovarian cancer and reduce the risk of relapse and resistance to chemotherapy drugs from their prolonged use. Specifically, the use of the PARP inhibitor, olaparib, has been shown to significantly increase the length of time ovarian cancer patients are able to persist without further progression of the disease after the completion of chemotherapy treatments. Additionally, there have been steps taken to identify certain microRNAs circulating in the blood plasma of ovarian cancer as indicative of the length of progression-free survival as well as response benefits to certain ovarian cancer treatments such as bevacizumab. Thus, allowing patients and medical providers to make better informed decisions about prognostic measures and course of treatment of ovarian cancer.