Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors for the treatment of ovarian cancer

Research progress in endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer

Endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer (EAOC) is a unique subtype of ovarian malignant tumor originating from endometriosis (EMS) malignant transformation, which has gradually become one of the hot topics in clinical and basic research in recent years. According to clinicopathological and epidemiological findings, precancerous lesions of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) and ovarian endometrioid carcinoma (OEC) are considered as EMS. Given the large number of patients with endometriosis and its long time window for malignant transformation, sufficient attention should be paid to EAOC. At present, the pathogenesis of EAOC has not been clarified, no reliable biomarkers have been found in the diagnosis, and there is still a lack of basis and targets for stratified management and precise treatment in the treatment. At the same time, due to the long medical history of patients, the fast growth rate of cancer cells, and the possibility of eliminating the earliest endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer, it is difficult to find the corresponding histological evidence. As a result, few patients are finally diagnosed with EAOC, which increases the difficulty of in-depth study of EAOC. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, clinical diagnosis, new treatment strategies and prognosis of endometriosis-associated ovarian cancer, and prospects the future direction of basic research and clinical transformation, in order to achieve stratified management and personalized treatment of ovarian cancer patients.

APOC1 is a prognostic biomarker associated with M2 macrophages in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have demonstrated that APOC1 is associated with cancer progression, exerting cancer-promoting and immune infiltration-promoting effects. Nevertheless, there is currently no report on the presence of APOC1 in ovarian cancer (OV).

METHOD

In this study, we conducted data analysis using the GEO and TCGA databases. We conducted a thorough bioinformatics analysis to investigate the function of APOC1 in OV, utilizing various platforms including cBioPortal, STRING, GeneMANIA, LinkedOmics, GSCALite, TIMER, and CellMarker. Additionally, we performed immunohistochemical staining on tissue microarrays and conducted in vitro cellular assays to validate our findings.

RESULT

Our findings reveal that APOC1 expression is significantly upregulated in OV compared to normal tissues. Importantly, patients with high APOC1 levels show a significantly poorer prognosis. Furthermore, our study demonstrated that APOC1 exerted a crucial function in promoting the capacity of ovarian cancer cells to proliferate, migrate, and invade. Additionally, we have identified that genes co-expressed with APOC1 are primarily associated with adaptive immune responses. Notably, the levels of APOC1 in OV exhibit a correlation with the presence of M2 Tumor-associated Macrophages (TAMs).

CONCLUSION

APOC1 emerges as a promising prognostic biomarker for OV and exhibits a significant association with M2 TAMs in OV.

PARP1-stabilised FOXQ1 promotes ovarian cancer progression by activating the LAMB3/WNT/β-catenin signalling pathway

Metastasis is an important factor that causes ovarian cancer (OC) to become the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system, but its molecular mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, through bioinformatics analysis, as well as analysis of tissue samples and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients in our centre, it was found that Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) was correlated with metastasis and prognosis of OC. Through cell function experiments and animal experiments, the results show that FOXQ1 can promote the progression of ovarian cancer in vivo and in vitro. Through RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), Western blotting (WB), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), luciferase assay, and ChIP-PCR, it was demonstrated that FOXQ1 can mediate the WNT/β-catenin pathway by targeting the LAMB promoter region. Through coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), mass spectrometry (MS), ubiquitination experiments, and immunofluorescence (IF), the results showed that PARP1 could stabilise FOXQ1 expression via the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). Finally, the whole mechanism pathway was verified by animal drug combination experiments and clinical specimen prognosis analysis. In summary, our results suggest that PARP1 can promote ovarian cancer progression through the LAMB3/WNT/β-catenin pathway by stabilising FOXQ1 expression.

Survivorship Care for Women Living With Ovarian Cancer: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Ovarian cancer ranks 12th in cancer incidence among women in the United States and 5th among causes of cancer-related death. The typical treatment of ovarian cancer focuses on disease management, with little attention given to the survivorship needs of the patient. Qualitative work alludes to a gap in survivorship care; yet, evidence is lacking to support the delivery of survivorship care for individuals living with ovarian cancer. We developed the POSTCare survivorship platform with input from survivors of ovarian cancer and care partners as a means of delivering patient-centered survivorship care. This process is framed by the chronic care model and relevant behavioral theory.

OBJECTIVE

The overall goal of this study is to test processes of care that support quality of life (QOL) in survivorship. The specific aims are threefold: first, to test the efficacy of the POSTCare platform in supporting QOL, reducing depressive symptom burden, and reducing recurrence worry. In our second aim, we will examine factors that mediate the effect of the intervention. Our final aim focuses on understanding aspects of care platform design and delivery that may affect the potential for dissemination.

METHODS

We will enroll 120 survivors of ovarian cancer in a randomized controlled trial and collect data at 12 and 24 weeks. Each participant will be randomized to either the POSTCare platform or the standard of care process for survivorship. Our population will be derived from 3 clinics in Texas; each participant will have received some combination of treatment modalities; continued maintenance therapy is not exclusionary.

RESULTS

We will examine the impact of the POSTCare-O platform on QOL at 12 weeks after intervention as the primary end point. We will look at secondary outcomes, including depressive symptom burden, recurrence anxiety, and physical symptom burden. We will identify mediators important to the impact of the intervention to inform revisions of the intervention for subsequent studies. Data collection was initiated in November 2023 and will continue for approximately 2 years. We expect results from this study to be published in early 2026.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will contribute to the body of survivorship science by testing a flexible platform for survivorship care delivery adapted for the specific survivorship needs of patients with ovarian cancer. The completion of this project will contribute to the growing body of science to guide survivorship care for persons living with cancer.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05752448; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05752448.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/48069.

New horizons for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: insights from the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meetings

Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis. Patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer have limited treatment options and often have a limited benefit from existing chemotherapeutic agents. There is a lack of contemporary effective anticancer drugs and reliable predictive biomarkers for this aggressive cancer. Recent cutting-edge research presented at the 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Annual Meetings has provided insights into several potential therapeutic targets, such as DNA damage repair proteins, cell-cycle regulators, and immune-modulating agents. In addition, antibody-drug conjugates have provided new practice-changing results in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Here, we review the results of research presented at this annual event, with a focus on clinical trials investigating novel treatment approaches for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer, in addition to predictive and prognostic biomarkers for optimal patient selection, and other topics, such as real-world evidence.

Heterogeneity and treatment landscape of ovarian carcinoma

Ovarian carcinoma is characterized by heterogeneity at the molecular, cellular and anatomical levels, both spatially and temporally. This heterogeneity affects response to surgery and/or systemic therapy, and also facilitates inherent and acquired drug resistance. As a consequence, this tumour type is often aggressive and frequently lethal. Ovarian carcinoma is not a single disease entity and comprises various subtypes, each with distinct complex molecular landscapes that change during progression and therapy. The interactions of cancer and stromal cells within the tumour microenvironment further affects disease evolution and response to therapy. In past decades, researchers have characterized the cellular, molecular, microenvironmental and immunological heterogeneity of ovarian carcinoma. Traditional treatment approaches have considered ovarian carcinoma as a single entity. This landscape is slowly changing with the increasing appreciation of heterogeneity and the recognition that delivering ineffective therapies can delay the development of effective personalized approaches as well as potentially change the molecular and cellular characteristics of the tumour, which might lead to additional resistance to subsequent therapy. In this Review we discuss the heterogeneity of ovarian carcinoma, outline the current treatment landscape for this malignancy and highlight potentially effective therapeutic strategies in development.

Expanding the Role of Boron in New Drug Chemotypes: Properties, Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Potential of Hemiboronic Naphthoids

New chemotypes and bioisosteres can open a new chemical space in drug discovery and help meet an urgent demand for novel agents to fight infections and other diseases. With the aim of identifying new boron-containing drug chemotypes, this article details a comprehensive evaluation of the pseudoaromatic hemiboronic naphthoids, benzoxaza- and benzodiazaborines. Relevant physical properties in aqueous media (acidity, solubility, log P, and stability) of prototypic members of four subclasses were determined. Both scaffolds are amenable to common reactions used in drug discovery, such as chemoselective Suzuki-Miyaura, Chan-Lam, and amidation reactions. Small model libraries were prepared to assess the scope of these transformations, and the entire collection was screened for antifungal (Candida albicans) and antibacterial activity (MRSA, Escherichia coli), unveiling promising benzoxazaborines with low micromolar minimum inhibitory concentration values. Select DMPK assays of representative compounds suggest promising drug-like behavior for all four subclasses. Moreover, several drug isosteres were evaluated for anti-inflammatory and anticancer activity as appropriate.

Evaluation of follow-up strategies for women with epithelial ovarian cancer following completion of primary treatment

BACKGROUND

This is an update of a previous Cochrane Review, last updated in 2014. Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common cancer and seventh most common cause of death due to cancer in women worldwide. Traditionally, most women who have been treated for cancer undergo long-term follow-up in secondary care. However, it has been suggested that the use of routine review may not be effective in improving survival, or health-related quality of life (HRQOL), or relieving anxiety. In addition, traditional follow-up may not be cost-effective.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the potential effects of different strategies of follow-up in women with epithelial ovarian cancer, following completion of primary treatment.

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, we searched the Cochrane Gynaecological Cancer Group Trials Register, CENTRAL 2022, Issue 11, MEDLINE, and Embase from August 2013 to November 2022. We also searched review articles and contacted experts in the field.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated follow-up strategies for women with epithelial ovarian cancer following completion of primary treatment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We followed standard Cochrane methodology. Two review authors independently selected potentially relevant trials, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. They compared results, and resolved disagreements by discussion. We assessed the certainty of evidence, using the GRADE approach, for the outcomes of interest: overall survival (OS), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), psychological effects, and cost analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

For this update, we included one new RCT, including 112 women with ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer, who had completed primary treatment by surgery, with or without chemotherapy. This study reported the effect of individualised, i.e. individually tailored, nurse-led follow-up versus conventional medical follow-up on HRQOL, psychological outcomes, and cost-analysis. Individualised follow-up improved HRQOL in one of the two scales, with a decrease in mean difference (MD) in the QLQ-C30 discomfort scale following 12 months of individualised treatment compared to 12 months of conventional treatment (MD -5.76 points, 95% confidence interval (CI) -10.92 to -0.60; 1 study, 112 participants; low-certainty evidence; minimal important difference 4 to 10 points). There may be little or no difference in the other HRQOL scale (QLQ-Ov28, MD -0.97 points, 95% CI -2.57 to 0.63; 1 study, 112 participants: low-certainty evidence); psychological outcome, measured with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS; MD 0.10 point, 95% CI -0.81 to 1.02; 1 study, 112 participants: low-certainty evidence), or cost analysis (MD -GBP 695.00, 95% CI -1467.23 to 77.23; 1 study, 112 participants: moderate-certainty evidence). Our previous review included one RCT, with 529 women in a confirmed remission, with normal CA125 concentration and no radiological evidence of disease, after surgery and first-line chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. This study evaluated immediate treatment of ovarian cancer relapse following a rise of serum CA125 levels versus delaying treatment until symptoms developed for OS, and HRQOL. There was little or no difference in OS between the immediate and delayed arms after a median follow-up of 56.9 months (unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.98, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.20; 1 study, 529 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Time from randomisation to first deterioration in global health score or death was shorter in the immediate treatment group than in the delayed treatment group (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.88).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Limited evidence from one trial suggests that routine surveillance with CA125 in asymptomatic women and treatment at CA125-defined relapse does not seem to offer survival advantage when compared to treatment at symptomatic relapse. However, this study pre-dates the use of PARPi maintenance treatment and the increased use of secondary cytoreductive surgery, so the results may be limited in their applicability to current practice. Limited evidence from one trial suggests that individualised nurse-led follow-up may improve HRQOL in women with ovarian cancer following completion of primary treatment. Large RCTs are needed to compare different types of follow-up, looking at survival, HRQOL, psychological effects, and cost as outcomes.

Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy plus Interval Cytoreductive Surgery with or without Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (NIHIPEC) in the Treatment of Advanced Ovarian Cancer: A Multicentric Propensity Score Study

INTRODUCTION

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is primarily confined to the peritoneal cavity. When primary complete surgery is not possible, neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is provided; however, the peritoneum-plasma barrier hinders the drug effect. The intraperitoneal administration of chemotherapy could eliminate residual microscopic peritoneal tumor cells and increase this effect by hyperthermia. Intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy (HIPEC) after interval cytoreductive surgery could improve outcomes in terms of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective observational study of advanced EOC patients who underwent interval cytoreductive surgery alone (CRSnoH) or interval cytoreductive surgery plus HIPEC (CRSH) was carried out in Spain between 07/2012 and 12/2021. A total of 515 patients were selected. Progression-free survival (PFS) and OS analyses were performed. The series of patients who underwent CRSH or CRSnoH was balanced regarding the risk factors using a statistical analysis technique called propensity score matching.

RESULTS

A total of 170 patients were included in each subgroup. The complete surgery rate was similar in both groups (79.4% vs. 84.7%). The median PFS times were 16 and 13 months in the CRSH and CRSnoH groups, respectively (Hazard ratio (HR) 0.74; 95% CI, 0.58-0.94; p = 0.031). The median OS times were 56 and 50 months in the CRSH and CRSnoH groups, respectively (HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.64-1.20; p = 0.44). There was no increase in complications in the CRSH group.

CONCLUSION

The addition of HIPEC after interval cytoreductive surgery is safe and increases DFS in advanced EOC patients.

Homologous Recombination Deficiency Testing to Inform Patient Decisions About Niraparib Maintenance Therapy for High-Grade Serous or Endometrioid Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: A Health Technology Assessment

Background

Ovarian cancer affects the cells of the ovaries, and epithelial cancer is the most common type of malignant ovarian cancer. The homologous recombination repair pathway enables error-free repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Damage of key genes associated with this pathway leads to homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), which results in unrepaired DNA and can lead to cancer. Tumours with HRD are believed to be sensitive to treatment with poly-adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, such as niraparib. We conducted a health technology assessment to evaluate the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of HRD testing to inform patient decisions about the use of niraparib maintenance therapy for patients with high-grade serous or endometrioid epithelial ovarian cancer. We also evaluated the efficacy and safety of niraparib maintenance therapy in patients with HRD or homologous recombination proficiency (HRP), the cost-effectiveness of HRD testing, the budget impact of publicly funding HRD testing, and patient preferences and values.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search of the clinical evidence. We assessed the risk of bias of each included study using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials version 2, and the quality of the body of evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group criteria. We performed a systematic economic literature search and conducted a cost-utility analysis with a 5-year time horizon from a public payer perspective. We also analyzed the budget impact of publicly funding HRD testing in people with ovarian cancer in Ontario. We performed a literature search for quantitative evidence of patient and provider preferences with respect to HRD testing and maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors. To contextualize the potential value of HRD testing, we spoke with people with ovarian cancer.

Results

The clinical evidence review included two studies in high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer (one in patients with newly diagnosed advanced cases and one in patients with recurrent cancer). The studies evaluated niraparib maintenance therapy compared with no maintenance therapy and used HRD testing to group patients according to HRD status. Compared to placebo, niraparib maintenance therapy improved progression-free survival in patients with newly diagnosed and recurrent ovarian cancer, and in tumours with HRD or HRP (GRADE: High), but the studies did not compare the results between the HRD and HRP groups. The frequency of adverse events was higher in the niraparib group. We identified no studies that evaluated the clinical utility of HRD testing.We conducted a primary economic evaluation to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of HRD testing for people with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer in an Ontario setting. Our analysis used a 5-year time horizon. HRD testing (for all eligible people or only for people with BRCA wild type) resulted in a lower proportion of patients receiving niraparib maintenance therapy, leading to lower costs and fewer quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The average total cost per patient was $131,375 for no HRD testing, $126,867 for HRD testing only in people with BRCA wild type, and $127,746 for HRD testing in all eligible people. The average total QALYs per patient were 2.087 for no HRD testing, 1.971 for HRD testing only in people with BRCA wild type, and 1.971 for HRD testing in all eligible people. Our budget impact analysis suggested that assuming a high uptake rate, publicly funding HRD testing for people with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer would lead to a total saving of $9.00 million (if HRD testing were funded for all) to $12.67 million (if HRD testing were funded for people with BRCA wild type) over the next 5 years. Publicly funding HRD testing for people with recurrent cancer would lead to a total saving of $16.31 million (if HRD testing were funded for all) to $21.67 million (if HRD testing were funded for people with BRCA wild type) over the next 5 years.We identified no studies that evaluated quantitative preferences for HRD testing. Based on two studies that evaluated patients and oncologists' preferences for maintenance therapy with a PARP inhibitor in the recurrent setting, a decrease in moderate to severe adverse events was more important for patients than an improvement in progression-free survival; however, improvement in progression-free survival was more important for oncologists. Both patients and oncologists accepted some trade-offs between efficacy and safety. The people with ovarian cancer we spoke with demonstrated a shared value for access to information, prevention of cancer recurrence, and overall survival with minimal adverse effects. This was consistent with findings from another survey in patients with ovarian cancer and at least one episode of recurrence, which suggest that patients prioritize treatment benefit over some treatment adverse events in the context of niraparib maintenance therapy. Interviewees also emphasized the importance of the patient-doctor partnership, access to local health care services, and patient education.

Conclusions

In patients with newly diagnosed (advanced) or recurrent high-grade serous or endometrioid ovarian cancer, niraparib maintenance therapy improved progression-free survival compared with no maintenance therapy in tumours with HRD or HRP (GRADE: High). Because we identified no studies on the clinical utility of HRD testing, we cannot comment on how it would affect patient decisions and clinical outcomes.Over a 5-year time horizon, HRD testing for people with BRCA wild type could save $4,509 per person and lead to a loss of 0.116 QALY. The findings of our economic analyses are dependent on assumptions about the use of niraparib following HRD testing. We estimate that publicly funding HRD testing would lead to a total saving of $9 million to $12.67 million for newly diagnosed cancer, and a total saving of $16.31 million to $21.67 million for recurrent cancer over 5 years, assuming the use of niraparib maintenance therapy would be reduced following HRD testing.Patients prioritized decreasing the risk of moderate to severe adverse events of maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors over improving progression-free survival, and oncologists prioritized improving progression-free survival over decreasing the risk of moderate to severe adverse events. However, both patients and oncologists were open to accepting certain trade-offs between treatment efficacy and toxicity. The people we interviewed, who had lived experience with ovarian cancer and genetic testing, valued the potential clinical benefits of HRD testing for themselves and their family members. They emphasized patient education as an important consideration for public funding in Ontario.

Cost-effectiveness of maintenance niraparib with an individualized starting dosage in patients with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer in China

Objective: Niraparib improved survival in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer (PSROC) patients versus routine surveillance, accompanied by increased costs. Based on the NORA trial, we evaluated for the first time the cost-effectiveness of maintenance niraparib with individualized starting dosage (ISD) in China. Methods: A Markov model was developed to simulate the costs and health outcomes of each strategy. The total costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) were measured. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis were performed to estimate model robustness. Scenario analyses were also conducted. Results: Compared to routine surveillance, niraparib additionally increased QALYs by 0.59 and 0.30 in populations with and without germline BRCA (gBRCA) mutations, with incremental costs of $10,860.79 and $12,098.54, respectively. The ICERs of niraparib over routine surveillance were $18,653.67/QALY and $39,212.99/QALY. At a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $37,488/QALY, the ISD enhanced the likelihood of cost-effectiveness from 9.35% to 30.73% in the gBRCA-mutated group and from 0.77% to 11.74% in the non-gBRCA mutated population. The probability of niraparib being cost-effective in the region with the highest per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China was 74.23% and 76.10% in the gBRCA-mutated and non-gBRCA mutated population, respectively. Niraparib was 100% cost-effective for National Basic Medical Insurance beneficiaries under the above WTP thresholds. Conclusion: Compared to routine surveillance, the ISD of niraparib for maintenance treatment of PSROC is cost-effective in the gBRCA-mutated population and more effective but costly in the non-gBRCA mutated patients. The optimized niraparib price, economic status, and health insurance coverage may benefit the economic outcome.

Prognostic risk factors of serous ovarian carcinoma based on mesenchymal stem cell phenotype and guidance for therapeutic efficacy

BACKGROUND

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer, in which serous ovarian carcinoma (SOC) is the most common histological subtype. Although PARP inhibitors (PARPi) and antiangiogenics have been accepted as maintenance treatment in SOC, response to immunotherapy of SOC patients is limited.

METHODS

The source of transcriptomic data of SOC was from the Cancer Genome Atlas database and Gene Expression Omnibus. The abundance scores of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC scores) were estimated for each sample by xCell. Weighted correlation network analysis is correlated the significant genes with MSC scores. Based on prognostic risk model construction with Cox regression analysis, patients with SOC were divided into low- and high-risk groups. And distribution of immune cells, immunosuppressors and pro-angiogenic factors in different risk groups was achieved by single-sample gene set enrichment analysis. The risk model of MSC scores was further validated in datasets of immune checkpoint blockade and antiangiogenic therapy. In the experiment, the mRNA expression of prognostic genes related to MSC scores was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction, while the protein level was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Three prognostic genes (PER1, AKAP12 and MMP17) were the constituents of risk model. Patients classified as high-risk exhibited worse prognosis, presented with an immunosuppressive phenotype, and demonstrated high micro-vessel density. Additionally, these patients were insensitive to immunotherapy and would achieve a longer overall survival with antiangiogenesis treatment. The validation experiments showed that the mRNA of PER1, AKAP12, and MMP17 was highly expressed in normal ovarian epithelial cells compared to SOC cell lines and there was a positive correlation between protein levels of PER1, AKAP12 and MMP17 and metastasis in human ovarian serous tumors.

CONCLUSION

This prognostic model established on MSC scores can predict prognosis of patients and provide the guidance for patients receiving immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapy. Because the number of prognostic genes was fewer than other signatures of SOC, it will be easily accessible on clinic.

Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin for relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Cancer of ovarian, fallopian tube and peritoneal origin, referred to collectively as ovarian cancer, is the eighth most common cancer in women and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Women with relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) are less well and have a limited life expectancy, therefore maintaining quality of life with effective symptom control is an important aim of treatment. However, the unwanted effects of chemotherapy agents may be severe, and optimal treatment regimens are unclear. Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), which contains a cytotoxic drug called doxorubicin hydrochloride, is one of several treatment modalities that may be considered for treatment of relapsed EOCs. This is an update of the original Cochrane Review which was published in Issue 7, 2013.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of PLD, with or without other anti-cancer drugs, in women with relapsed high grade epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE (via Ovid) and Embase (via Ovid) from 1990 to January 2022. We also searched online registers of clinical trials, abstracts of scientific meetings and reference lists of included studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated PLD in women diagnosed with relapsed epithelial ovarian cancer.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently extracted data to a pre-designed data collection form and assessed the risk of bias according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions guidelines. Where possible, we pooled collected data in meta-analyses.

MAIN RESULTS

This is an update of a previous review with 12 additional studies, so this updated review includes a total of 26 RCTs with 8277 participants that evaluated the effects of PLD alone or in combination with other drugs in recurrent EOC: seven in platinum-sensitive disease (2872 participants); 11 in platinum-resistant disease (3246 participants); and eight that recruited individuals regardless of platinum sensitivity status (2079 participants). The certainty of the evidence was assessed for the three most clinically relevant comparisons out of eight comparisons identified in the included RCTs. Recurrent platinum-sensitive EOC PLD with conventional chemotherapy agent compared to alternative combination chemotherapy likely results in little to no difference in overall survival (OS) (hazard ratio (HR) 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83 to 1.04; 5 studies, 2006 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) but likely increases progression-free survival (PFS) (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.89; 5 studies, 2006 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The combination may slightly improve quality of life at three months post-randomisation, measured using European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30 (mean difference 4.80, 95% CI 0.92 to 8.68; 1 study, 608 participants; low-certainty evidence), but this may not represent a clinically meaningful difference. PLD in combination with another chemotherapy agent compared to alternative combination chemotherapy likely results in little to no difference in the rate of overall severe adverse events (grade ≥ 3) (risk ratio (RR) 1.11, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.30; 2 studies, 834 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). PLD with chemotherapy likely increases anaemia (grade ≥ 3) (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.85; 5 studies, 1961 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of PLD with conventional chemotherapy on hand-foot syndrome (HFS)(grade ≥ 3) (RR 4.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 16.01; 2 studies, 1028 participants; very low-certainty evidence) and neurological events (grade ≥ 3) (RR 0.38, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.74; 4 studies, 1900 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Recurrent platinum-resistant EOC PLD alone compared to another conventional chemotherapy likely results in little to no difference in OS (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.19; 6 studies, 1995 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of PLD on PFS (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.04; 4 studies, 1803 participants; very low-certainty evidence), overall severe adverse events (grade ≥ 3) (RR ranged from 0.61 to 0.97; 2 studies, 964 participants; very low-certainty evidence), anaemia (grade ≥ 3) (RR ranged from 0.19 to 0.82; 5 studies, 1968 participants; very low-certainty evidence), HFS (grade ≥ 3) (RR ranged from 15.19 to 109.15; 6 studies, 2184 participants; very low-certainty evidence), and the rate of neurological events (grade ≥ 3)(RR ranged from 0.08 to 3.09; 3 studies, 1222 participants; very low-certainty evidence). PLD with conventional chemotherapy compared to PLD alone likely results in little to no difference in OS (HR 0.92, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.21; 1 study, 242 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and it may result in little to no difference in PFS (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.22; 2 studies, 353 participants; low-certainty evidence). The combination likely increases overall severe adverse events (grade ≥ 3) (RR 2.48, 95% CI 1.98 to 3.09; 1 study, 663 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and anaemia (grade ≥ 3) (RR 2.38, 95% CI 1.46 to 3.87; 2 studies, 785 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), but likely results in a large reduction in HFS (grade ≥ 3) (RR 0.24, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.40; 2 studies, 785 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). It may result in little to no difference in neurological events (grade ≥ 3) (RR 1.40, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.31; 1 study, 663 participants; low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

In platinum-sensitive relapsed EOC, including PLD in a combination chemotherapy regimen probably makes little to no difference in OS compared to other combinations, but likely improves PFS. Choice of chemotherapy will therefore be guided by symptoms from previous chemotherapy and other patient considerations. Single-agent PLD remains a useful agent for platinum-resistant relapsed EOC and choice of agent at relapse will depend on patient factors, e.g. degree of bone marrow suppression or neurotoxicity from previous treatments. Adding another agent to PLD likely increases overall grade ≥ 3 adverse events with little to no improvement in survival outcomes. The limited evidence relating to PLD in combination with other agents in platinum-resistant relapsed EOC does not indicate a benefit, but there is some evidence of increased side effects.

A Prognostic Model Based on Metabolism-Related Genes for Patients with Ovarian Cancer

Metabolism-associated genes (MAGs) are important regulators of tumor progression and can affect a variety of physiological processes. In this study, we focused on the relationship between MAGs and Ovarian cancer (OC) prognosis.

METHOD

Metabolism-related genes were extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Through univariate COX and lasso regression models, a dynamic risk model based on MAGs was established. Compared with other clinical factors, demonstrated the ability of the model to predict the prognosis of patients with OC. The clinical samples were used to verify the expression of these MAGs.

RESULTS

A metabolism-associated gene signature was constructed by LASSO Cox regression analysis in OC, which was composed of 3-MAGs (PTGIS, AOC3, and IDO1). The signature was used to classify the OC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. The overall survival of the low-risk group was significantly better than that of the high-risk group. The analysis of the therapeutic effect of bevacizumab showed that bevacizumab was not conducive to improving the prognosis of the low-risk group.

CONCLUSIONS

We constructed a prognostic model of MAGs in OC, which can be used to predict the prognosis of OC patients and may have a good guiding significance in the individualized treatment of patients.

Angiogenesis inhibitors for the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Many women, and other females, with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) develop resistance to conventional chemotherapy drugs. Drugs that inhibit angiogenesis (development of new blood vessels), essential for tumour growth, control cancer growth by denying blood supply to tumour nodules.

OBJECTIVES

To compare the effectiveness and toxicities of angiogenesis inhibitors for treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

SEARCH METHODS

We identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) by searching CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase (from 1990 to 30 September 2022). We searched clinical trials registers and contacted investigators of completed and ongoing trials for further information.

SELECTION CRITERIA

RCTs comparing angiogenesis inhibitors with standard chemotherapy, other types of anti-cancer treatment, other angiogenesis inhibitors with or without other treatments, or placebo/no treatment in a maintenance setting, in women with EOC.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. Our outcomes were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), quality of life (QoL), adverse events (grade 3 and above) and hypertension (grade 2 and above).

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 50 studies (14,836 participants) for inclusion (including five studies from the previous version of this review): 13 solely in females with newly-diagnosed EOC and 37 in females with recurrent EOC (nine studies in platinum-sensitive EOC; 19 in platinum-resistant EOC; nine with studies with mixed or unclear platinum sensitivity). The main results are presented below.  Newly-diagnosed EOC Bevacizumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), given with chemotherapy and continued as maintenance, likely results in little to no difference in OS compared to chemotherapy alone (hazard ratio (HR) 0.97, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88 to 1.07; 2 studies, 2776 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). Evidence is very uncertain for PFS (HR 0.82, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.05; 2 studies, 2746 participants; very low-certainty evidence), although the combination results in a slight reduction in global QoL (mean difference (MD) -6.4, 95% CI -8.86 to -3.94; 1 study, 890 participants; high-certainty evidence). The combination likely increases any adverse event (grade ≥ 3) (risk ratio (RR) 1.16, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.26; 1 study, 1485 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and may result in a large increase in hypertension (grade ≥ 2) (RR 4.27, 95% CI 3.25 to 5.60; 2 studies, 2707 participants; low-certainty evidence). Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) to block VEGF receptors (VEGF-R), given with chemotherapy and continued as maintenance, likely result in little to no difference in OS (HR 0.99, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.17; 2 studies, 1451 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and likely increase PFS slightly (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.00; 2 studies, 2466 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The combination likely reduces QoL slightly (MD -1.86, 95% CI -3.46 to -0.26; 1 study, 1340 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), but it increases any adverse event (grade ≥ 3) slightly (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.55; 1 study, 188 participants; moderate-certainty evidence) and may result in a large increase in hypertension (grade ≥ 3) (RR 6.49, 95% CI 2.02 to 20.87; 1 study, 1352 participants; low-certainty evidence).  Recurrent EOC (platinum-sensitive) Moderate-certainty evidence from three studies (with 1564 participants) indicates that bevacizumab with chemotherapy, and continued as maintenance, likely results in little to no difference in OS (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.02), but likely improves PFS (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.63) compared to chemotherapy alone. The combination may result in little to no difference in QoL (MD 0.8, 95% CI -2.11 to 3.71; 1 study, 486 participants; low-certainty evidence), but it increases the rate of any adverse event (grade ≥ 3) slightly (RR 1.11, 1.07 to 1.16; 3 studies, 1538 participants; high-certainty evidence). Hypertension (grade ≥ 3) was more common in arms with bevacizumab (RR 5.82, 95% CI 3.84 to 8.83; 3 studies, 1538 participants).  TKIs with chemotherapy may result in little to no difference in OS (HR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.11; 1 study, 282 participants; low-certainty evidence), likely increase PFS (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.72; 1 study, 282 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), and may have little to no effect on QoL (MD 6.1, 95% CI -0.96 to 13.16; 1 study, 146 participants; low-certainty evidence). Hypertension (grade ≥ 3) was more common with TKIs (RR 3.32, 95% CI 1.21 to 9.10). Recurrent EOC (platinum-resistant) Bevacizumab with chemotherapy and continued as maintenance increases OS (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.88; 5 studies, 778 participants; high-certainty evidence) and likely results in a large increase in PFS (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.58; 5 studies, 778 participants; moderate-certainty evidence). The combination may result in a large increase in hypertension (grade ≥ 2) (RR 3.11, 95% CI 1.83 to 5.27; 2 studies, 436 participants; low-certainty evidence). The rate of bowel fistula/perforation (grade ≥ 2) may be slightly higher with bevacizumab (RR 6.89, 95% CI 0.86 to 55.09; 2 studies, 436 participants). Evidence from eight studies suggest TKIs with chemotherapy likely result in little to no difference in OS (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.08; 940 participants; moderate-certainty evidence), with low-certainty evidence that it may increase PFS (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.89; 940 participants), and may result in little to no meaningful difference in QoL (MD ranged from -0.19 at 6 weeks to -3.40 at 4 months). The combination increases any adverse event (grade ≥ 3) slightly (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.49; 3 studies, 402 participants; high-certainty evidence). The effect on bowel fistula/perforation rates is uncertain (RR 2.74, 95% CI 0.77 to 9.75; 5 studies, 557 participants; very low-certainty evidence).

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Bevacizumab likely improves both OS and PFS in platinum-resistant relapsed EOC. In platinum-sensitive relapsed disease, bevacizumab and TKIs probably improve PFS, but may or may not improve OS. The results for TKIs in platinum-resistant relapsed EOC are similar. The effects on OS or PFS in newly-diagnosed EOC are less certain, with a decrease in QoL and increase in adverse events. Overall adverse events and QoL data were more variably reported than were PFS data. There appears to be a role for anti-angiogenesis treatment, but given the additional treatment burden and economic costs of maintenance treatments, benefits and risks of anti-angiogenesis treatments should be carefully considered.

Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer (OC) is gynecological cancer, and diagnosis and treatment are continuously advancing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based diagnoses have emerged as novel methods for identifying molecules and pathways in cancer research. The NGS-based applications have expanded in OC research for early detection and identification of aberrant genes and dysregulation pathways, demonstrating comprehensive views of the entire transcriptome, such as fusion genes, genetic mutations, and gene expression profiling. Coinciding with advances in NGS-based diagnosis, treatment strategies for OC, such as molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy, have also advanced. Immunotherapy is effective against many other cancers, and its efficacy against OC has also been demonstrated at the clinical phase. In this review, we describe several NGS-based applications for therapeutic targets of OC, and introduce current immunotherapeutic strategies, including vaccines, checkpoint inhibitors, and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell transplantation, for effective diagnosis and treatment of OC.

Platinum Resistance After PARPi Resistance in a gBRCAmt Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Patient: a Case Report

As the most lethal gynecological malignant tumor, ovarian cancer is prone to recurrence and drug resistance. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors are known to be effective in ovarian cancer patients as maintenance treatment, especially in patients with BRCA mutation. The current controversy is whether the use of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors may affect subsequent platinum sensitivity. A Chinese female patient diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer experienced five platinum-sensitive relapses. After obtaining informed consent from the patient, we performed next-generation gene sequencing and detected a germline BRCA1 pathologic mutation. When the patient achieved partial response with platinum after the fifth platinum-sensitive relapse, exploratory posterior-line maintenance therapy was performed due to her genotype. But the patient rapidly progressed to platinum resistance after poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor resistance. In a gBRCAmt patient with platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian cancer, olaparib as exploratory posterior-line maintenance treatment is barely effective and may affect the response to subsequent platinum therapy.

British Gynaecological Cancer Society Recommendations for Evidence Based, Population Data Derived Quality Performance Indicators for Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer survival in the UK lags behind comparable countries. Results from the ongoing National Ovarian Cancer Audit feasibility pilot (OCAFP) show that approximately 1 in 4 women with advanced ovarian cancer (Stage 2, 3, 4 and unstaged cancer) do not receive any anticancer treatment and only 51% in England receive international standard of care treatment, i.e., the combination of surgery and chemotherapy. The audit has also demonstrated wide variation in the percentage of women receiving anticancer treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, be it surgery or chemotherapy across the 19 geographical regions for organisation of cancer delivery (Cancer Alliances). Receipt of treatment also correlates with survival: 5 year Cancer survival varies from 28.6% to 49.6% across England. Here, we take a systems wide approach encompassing both diagnostic pathways and cancer treatment, derived from the whole cohort of women with ovarian cancer to set out recommendations and quality performance indicators (QPI). A multidisciplinary panel established by the British Gynaecological Cancer Society carefully identified QPI against criteria: metrics selected were those easily evaluable nationally using routinely available data and where there was a clear evidence base to support interventions. These QPI will be valuable to other taxpayer funded systems with national data collection mechanisms and are to our knowledge the only population level data derived standards in ovarian cancer. We also identify interventions for Best practice and Research recommendations.

Combined PARP inhibitors and small molecular inhibitors in solid tumor treatment (Review)

With the development of precision medicine, targeted therapy has attracted extensive attention. Poly(ADP‑ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) are critical clinical drugs designed to induce cell death and are major antitumor targeted agents. However, preclinical and clinical data have revealed the limitations of PARPi monotherapy. Therefore, their combination with other targeted drugs has become a research hotspot in tumor treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated the critical role of small molecular inhibitors in multiple haematological cancers and solid tumors via cellular signalling modulation, exhibiting potential as a combined pharmacotherapy. In the present review, studies focused on small molecular inhibitors targeting the homologous recombination pathway were summarized and clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of combined treatment were discussed.

Role of PARP Inhibitors in Cancer Immunotherapy: Potential Friends to Immune Activating Molecules and Foes to Immune Checkpoints

Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (PARPi) induce cytotoxic effects as single agents in tumors characterized by defective repair of DNA double-strand breaks deriving from BRCA1/2 mutations or other abnormalities in genes associated with homologous recombination. Preclinical studies have shown that PARPi-induced DNA damage may affect the tumor immune microenvironment and immune-mediated anti-tumor response through several mechanisms. In particular, increased DNA damage has been shown to induce the activation of type I interferon pathway and up-regulation of PD-L1 expression in cancer cells, which can both enhance sensitivity to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs). Despite the recent approval of ICIs for a number of advanced cancer types based on their ability to reinvigorate T-cell-mediated antitumor immune responses, a consistent percentage of treated patients fail to respond, strongly encouraging the identification of combination therapies to overcome resistance. In the present review, we analyzed both established and unexplored mechanisms that may be elicited by PARPi, supporting immune reactivation and their potential synergism with currently used ICIs. This analysis may indicate novel and possibly patient-specific immune features that might represent new pharmacological targets of PARPi, potentially leading to the identification of predictive biomarkers of response to their combination with ICIs.

CT-Based Radiomics and Deep Learning for BRCA Mutation and Progression-Free Survival Prediction in Ovarian Cancer Using a Multicentric Dataset

PURPOSE

Build predictive radiomic models for early relapse and BRCA mutation based on a multicentric database of high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and validate them in a test set coming from different institutions.

METHODS

Preoperative CTs of patients with HGSOC treated at four referral centers were retrospectively acquired and manually segmented. Hand-crafted features and deep radiomics features were extracted respectively by dedicated software (MODDICOM) and a dedicated convolutional neural network (CNN). Features were selected with and without prior harmonization (ComBat harmonization), and models were built using different machine learning algorithms, including clinical variables.

RESULTS

We included 218 patients. Radiomic models showed low performance in predicting both BRCA mutation (AUC in test set between 0.46 and 0.59) and 1-year relapse (AUC in test set between 0.46 and 0.56); deep learning models demonstrated similar results (AUC in the test of 0.48 for BRCA and 0.50 for relapse). The inclusion of clinical variables improved the performance of the radiomic models to predict BRCA mutation (AUC in the test set of 0.74).

CONCLUSIONS

In our multicentric dataset, representative of a real-life clinical scenario, we could not find a good radiomic predicting model for PFS and BRCA mutational status, with both traditional radiomics and deep learning, but the combination of clinical and radiomic models improved model performance for the prediction of BRCA mutation. These findings highlight the need for standardization through the whole radiomic pipelines and robust multicentric external validations of results.