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Niraparib and Irinotecan for the Treatment of Advanced Cancers with Mutations in DNA Repair Genes

Trial Status: active

This phase I trial tests the safety, side effects, and best dose of niraparib and irinotecan in treating patients with cancer that may have spread from where it first started to nearby tissue, lymph nodes, or distant parts of the body (advanced) with mutations in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair genes. A gene is one of many codes present in each cell in the body. These codes collectively control the behavior of that cell. DNA is the genetic material of cells. If DNA becomes damaged, the cell uses its DNA-repair genes to repair the damaged DNA. It is thought that cancer therapies that target the cell’s DNA-damage-and-repair processes may be useful in treating cancer cells with mutation(s) (changes or errors) in DNA-repair genes. Niraparib is an oral drug that is classified as a PARP inhibitor. PARP inhibitors inhibit of a family of proteins in the cell called poly-adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ribose polymerase (PARP) enzymes. PARP enzymes help cells maintain and repair their DNA. Inhibiting DNA-repair processes in cancer cells can force the cancer cell to die. Irinotecan is a type of chemotherapy that is thought to cause DNA damage to cancer cells, which results in cancer cells dying. Combining irinotecan with niraparib may work better in treating patients with advanced cancer and DNA repair damage.