>>> APPROXIMATELY 22,000
U.S. WOMEN ARE DIAGNOSED
ANNUALLY WITH OVARIAN
CANCER, AND, SADLY, IT'S THE
FIFTH MOST COMMON CAUSE OF
CANCER DEATH IN WOMEN.
NEW MAINTENANCE TREATMENT
OPTIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE
THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE
RISK OF OVARIAN CANCER
RETU .
DR. ROBERT HOLLOWAY, THANK
YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME IN
TUCSON.
>> WITH ALL OF THOSE
NUMBERS, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY
WE'RE HAVING THIS
DISCUSSION.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT
THE TREATMENT OPTIONS AND
THE CHALLENGES THAT
PATIENTS, DOCTORS, AND EVEN
THEIR LOVED ONES ARE FACING.
>> >> THE CHALLENGE IS
HIDDEN IN THAT FIGURE, THERE
IS A MUCH BIGGER NUMBER OF
WOMEN, A QUARTER MILLION
WOMEN HAVE THE DIAGNOSIS OF
OVARIAN CANCER, AND IT
PRESENTS WITH ADVANCED
DISEASE WITH AN 80 PERCENT
CHANCE OF RECURRENCE ONCE
YOU ACHIEVE REMISSION.
UNTIL RECENTLY, WE HAVEN'T
HAD MUCH TO OFFER A PATIENT
WHO HAS TAKEN THAT SECOND
TREATMENT AND GOTTEN A
RESPONSE TO PLATINUM-BASED
THERAPY.
THE STANDARD OF CARE HAS
BEEN WATCH AND WAIT.
THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT
CHALLENGE FOR PATIENTS,
THEIR FAMILIES, AS WELL AS
PHYSICIANS DEALING WITH THE
NACK
FACT THAT WE KNOW THIS
CANCER IS COMING BACK.
>> TELL ME WHAT MAINTENANCE
THERAPY IS, AND OTHER
THERAPIES THAT ARE NOW
ACTIVE?
>> WELL, THE CONCEPT OF
MAINTENANCE THERAPY IS TO
NOW TAKE THAT PATIENT WHO
HAS RECURRED, BEEN TREATED,
AND OFFER THEM A THERAPY TO
MAINTAIN THE DISEASE AND
KEEP THEM IN REMISSION OR
STABLE-DISEASE STATUS FOR A
LONG PERIOD OF TIME, AND THE
FDA RECENTLY APPROVED A NEW
CLASS OF COMPOUNDS,AN
INHIBITOR IS GIVEN ONCE A
DAY FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE HAD A
RESPONSE TO SECOND SECOND
TREATMENT.
IT'S A PILL ONCE A DAY, SO
THE PATIENT ISN'T COMING IN
TO THE ONCOLOGY CENTER
GETTING I.V. TREATMENT, AND
SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTS
PATIENT'S REMISSION TIME,
WHETHER THEY CARRY THE
INHERITED BRCA GENE OR
WHETHER IT'S A SPONTANEOUS
CANCER, ALL PATIENTS CAN
ACHIEVE IMPROVEMENT WITH
PARP INHIBITOR THERAPY.
>> TELL US MORE ABOUT BRCA.
>> IT HELPS US DESIGN
THERAPY ONCE WE KNOW WHETHER
IT'S PRESENT.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ALL THE
FAMILY MEMBERS.
ABOUT 17 PERCENT OF PATIENTS
WHO HAVE OVARIAN CANCER
MEANS THEY HAVE INHERITED
IT.
WITH TESTING, FAMILY MEMBERS
CAN BE COUNSELED ABOUT HOW
TO REDUCE RISK FOR OVARIAN
AND BREAST CANCER, AND IT
MAKES A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT
ON FAMILIES WITH THIS GENE.
>> I THINK THIS INFORMATION
IS GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANT
FOR FAMILIES.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE GET MORE
INFORMATION?
>> GO TO ZEDULA.COM.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO
THE WOMEN'S CANCER
FOUNDATION TO READ ABOUT
OVARIAN AND OTHER
GYNECOLOGICAL CANCERS.