Ovarian, Fallopian Tube, and Primary Peritoneal Cancer Research Results and Study Updates
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What’s at the Root of Ovarian Cancer? New Study May Have Found Part of the Answer
A subgroup of mesenchymal stem cells, called high-risk MSCs, appears to fuel the formation of cancerous lesions in the fallopian tubes and the lesions’ transition to ovarian cancer, a study has found.
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Approval of Elahere Expands Treatment Options for Some Advanced Ovarian Cancers
FDA approved mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (Elahere) to treat people with advanced, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer whose tumors overproduce a protein called FR-α. The full approval was based on the results of a large, randomized trial called MIRASOL, which showed Elahere improved survival for these people.
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Implanted “Drug Factories” Deliver Cancer Treatment Directly to Tumors
Researchers have developed tiny “drug factories” that produce an immune-boosting molecule and can be implanted near tumors. The pinhead-sized beads eliminated tumors in mice with ovarian and colorectal cancer and will soon be tested in human studies.
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Trametinib Is a New Treatment Option for Rare Form of Ovarian Cancer
New results from a large study show that trametinib (Mekinist) is an effective treatment for low-grade serous ovarian cancer. The findings are the first strong evidence that this rare type of ovarian cancer should be treated differently from other forms of the disease.
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When Ovarian Cancer Returns, Surgery May Be a Good Choice for Selected Patients
For patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who meet strict criteria, additional surgery may improve survival, results from a large clinical trial show.
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How Does Ovarian Cancer Form? A New Study Points to MicroRNA
A microRNA—a molecule made by cells to turn genes on and off—called miR-181a may help high-grade serous ovarian cancer form, a study has found. The scientists think the microRNA could potentially help doctors detect ovarian cancer earlier.
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Ovarian Cancer Studies Aim to Reduce Racial Disparities, Improve Outcomes
Three recently launched NCI-supported studies could help researchers better understand the causes of racial/ethnic disparities in ovarian cancer. The ultimate goal is to eliminate disparities and improve survival for all women with the disease.
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Surgery for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Does Not Improve Survival
Secondary surgery for women with recurrent ovarian cancer does not improve how long those women live, findings from a large trial show. The results call into question the current standard of practice for these patients.
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PARP Inhibitors Show Promise as Initial Treatment for Ovarian Cancer
In three large clinical trials of women with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer, treatment with a PARP inhibitor as first-line therapy, maintenance therapy, or both, extended the length of time before participants’ cancers came back or got worse.
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Fewer Women with Ovarian, Breast Cancer Undergo Genetic Testing than Expected
Many women diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer are not undergoing tests for inherited genetic mutations that can provide important information to help guide decisions about treatment and longer-term cancer screening, a new study has found.
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Trial Examines Value of Lymph Node Surgery in Advanced Ovarian Cancer
Surgery to remove all the lymph nodes in the area around an advanced ovarian tumor did not improve survival in a recent randomized clinical trial. The study also found systematic lymphadenectomy was associated with more frequent serious complications.
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Olaparib after Initial Treatment Delays Ovarian Cancer Progression
In a recent trial, the PARP inhibitor olaparib substantially delayed ovarian cancer from coming back after the first line of chemotherapy. Could the findings change the standard of care for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer with a BRCA mutation?
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Rucaparib Approved as Maintenance Treatment for Some Recurrent Ovarian Cancers
FDA has expanded its approval of rucaparib (Rubraca) as a maintenance therapy for women with recurrent ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer whose tumors shrank after subsequent treatment with a platinum-based chemotherapy.
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Study Shows Experimental Screening Test Can Detect Endometrial and Ovarian Cancers
Scientists have struggled to come up with a simple test to detect endometrial and ovarian cancers early, when they are most likely to respond to treatment. Can a liquid biopsy test called PapSEEK change that?
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Experimental Ovarian Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Mice
The experimental vaccine targets a protein found at elevated levels in about 90% of the most common type of ovarian cancer. If validated in human studies, researchers believe the vaccine may be particularly useful for women who carry BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations.
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Many Ovarian Cancers May Start in Fallopian Tubes, Study Finds
A new study provides more evidence that the most common form of ovarian cancer may originate in the fallopian tubes, and that there is a window of nearly 7 years between development of fallopian tube lesions and the start of ovarian cancer.
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Levels of Immune Cells within Ovarian Tumors Linked to Survival for Some Patients
A large international study suggests that the presence of certain immune cells within the tumors of some patients with ovarian cancer are associated with improved survival.
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FDA Approves Olaparib as Maintenance Therapy for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
FDA has granted regular approval to olaparib tablets (Lynparza®) as maintenance treatment for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who are having partial or complete responses to platinum-based chemotherapy.
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Large Study Verifies Cancer Risk for Women Carrying BRCA1 or BRCA2 Mutations
Results from the first large prospective study of breast and ovarian cancer risk in women with inherited mutations in the BRCA 1 or BRCA2 genes confirm the high risks estimated from earlier, retrospective studies.
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FDA Approves Niraparib as Maintenance Therapy for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer
The FDA approved the PARP inhibitor niraparib for use as a maintenance therapy for some women with advanced ovarian cancer.
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FDA Approves Rucaparib for BRCA-Positive Ovarian Cancer
The FDA has approved rucaparib for women with BRCA-positive advanced ovarian cancer based on findings from two small clinical trials showing that it shrank tumors.