Cancer Prevention Strategies Linked to Mortality Reduction in BRCA Carriers

February 29, 2024 9:00 am

By Mike Basset

Risk management strategies including bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) for ovarian cancer and MRI surveillance for breast cancer were associated with a significant reduction in mortality for women with BRCA1/2 sequence variations, according to results from two cohort studies … Read more

Scientists Piece Together DNA Repair Pathway Implicated in Breast, Ovarian, and Prostate Cancers

November 15, 2023 9:00 am

Clearity’s Perspective: Cancer cells that have mutations in BRCA or that are HRD-positive are not able to use the so-called homologous recombination repair pathway to fix mistakes in the cancer cell. These cancer cells become reliant on other repair pathways. Read more

Claudine Isaacs, MD, on the Limitations of At-Home Genetic Tests for Hereditary Breast/Ovarian Cancers

More than 95% of BRCA1 or BRCA1 pathogenic variants would have been missed by DTC testing, largest such study showed

November 8, 2023 9:00 am

By Mark Fuerst

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing has limited use as a screening tool for identifying individuals at risk of hereditary breast or ovarian cancer, especially in those of non-Ashkenazi Jewish descent, researchers reported.

Most current DTC genetic tests evaluate … Read more

First Blood Test for Dozens of Hereditary Cancers Approved by FDA

October 2, 2023 9:00 am

The FDA has approved the first blood test that can help identify hundreds of potentially cancer-associated hereditary variants. The Invitae Common Hereditary Cancers Panel evaluates a blood sample to identify DNA variants in 47 genes associated with an elevated risk … Read more

Dr Rebecca Brooks Covers Ovarian Cancer Risk Factors, Preventive Measures

September 29, 2023 9:00 am

By Hayden E. Klein

For Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in September, Rebecca Brooks, MD, talked to The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) about how genetics and family history play a large role in ovarian cancer … Read more

Clinical trial gives women with gene mutation power over disease

September 8, 2023 9:00 am

Shared by Norma Rabago

When Juana Padron, a 40-year-old mother of four, chose to have a genetic test, going against her friends and family’s advice was the last thing on her mind.

Padron’s aunt died from breast cancer, and she … Read more

Long DNA molecules reveal new scar types in HR-deficient cancers

August 16, 2023 9:00 am

DNA can be damaged by toxins, radiation, or even normal cell division, but human cells must continually fix DNA breaks to survive. In cells that cannot repair DNA effectively, changes (mutations) can occur that lead to cancer.

Most cells rely … Read more

Tumor Testing May Be Increasingly Useful in Ovarian Cancer

May 8, 2023 3:00 pm

Testing tumors with next-generation sequencing in patients with ovarian cancer can provide teams insight into targetable mutations that may affect treatment decisions, although this approach is not the current standard of care for all patients, an expert said.

Among 1,092 patients with ovarian cancer, 27.5% underwent next-generation sequencing; 96.1% had one or more genetic alteration; 25.9% had an alteration that aligned with targeted treatment

In an

Read more

Exome sequencing identifies cancer predisposition-gene carriers screening guidelines miss

April 19, 2023 12:55 pm

by Jennifer Southall

Whole-exome sequencing identified carriers of predisposition genes for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer or Lynch syndrome who, under current guidelines, would not have qualified for genetic testing, according to study results.

The findings, presented at American Association … Read more

Quintuple Regimen Prolongs PFS in Advanced, High-Grade Epithelial Ovarian Cancer +/- BRCA Mutations

April 5, 2023 4:55 pm

by Nichole Tucker

The DUO-O press release went out on 4/5/2023. It suggests that adding immunotherapy to PARP inhibitor maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients that have finished first-line platinum treatment may be beneficial. We are eagerly awaiting Read more

Neoadjuvant olaparib feasible for women with germline-mutant ovarian cancer

March 27, 2023 9:13 am

by Devin McLaughlin

Neoadjuvant therapy with olaparib showed feasibility for women with germline-mutant ovarian cancer, according to results of the NOW trial presented at Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.

Researchers observed favorable surgical outcomes — even … Read more

Botensilimab/Balstilimab Combo Elicits Deep Responses in Platinum-Resistant/Refractory Ovarian Cancer

March 27, 2023 9:11 am

by Jason Harris

Botensilimab (AGEN1181) in combination with balstilimab (AGEN2034) induced durable responses in patients with resistant/refractory ovarian cancer, according to findings from the phase 1 C-800 study (NCT03860272) presented at the 2023 SGO Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer.1Read more

Tailored Phone Calls Increased Rate of Genetic Testing, Counseling for Hereditary Cancer Risk

March 2, 2023 9:44 am

by Alison Kanski

NEW YORK – Personalized phone discussions about genetic risk assessment increased the number of breast and ovarian cancer patients who got genetic testing or discussed their risk with a genetic counselor, a study from Rutgers Cancer Institute … Read more

Multisite multiomic analysis reveals diverse resistance mechanisms in end-stage ovarian cancer

March 1, 2023 9:26 am

by Justin Jackson

An international team led by researchers from MacCallum Cancer Center in Melbourne, Australia, examined 391 tumor tissues from about 270 multisite autopsy samples collected from 15 individuals with end-stage high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC). All of the … Read more

Ovarian Cancer in Black and African American Communities

February 3, 2023 3:10 pm

Ovarian cancer outcomes are less positive for Black and African American persons compared to other communities, but the reasons why are not entirely clear. Anne Mette Buhl, PhD, Director of Science and Clinical Trials, from The Clearity Foundation, recently contributed Read more

Penn Study Illuminates Why Cancers Caused by BRCA Mutations Recur

November 10, 2022 11:36 am

Findings uncover possible drivers of recurrent breast and ovarian cancers among women carrying high-risk genetic mutations, pointing to methods to more effectively treat disease

PHILADELPHIA — Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer … Read more

Ovarian cancer surveillance results in earlier diagnosis for women with faulty BRCA genes who want to defer surgery

November 1, 2022 4:17 pm

by British Medical Journal

Regularly monitoring women with faulty BRCA genes that make them highly susceptible to ovarian cancer results in earlier stage diagnosis in those who want to defer preventive surgery, finds research published online in the Journal of Read more

Anti-cancer drugs, olaparib and adavosertib, work best when given sequentially in patients with advanced tumours driven by DNA damage response mutations: results from Phase Ib STAR clinical trial

October 27, 2022 2:26 pm

Barcelona, Spain: Patients with cancers that are driven by certain mutations occurring in response to DNA damage can be safely treated with two drugs, olparib and adavosertib, if they are given in sequence rather than concurrently.

Presenting results from the … Read more

Melissa Frey, MD, on Disparities in Ovarian Cancer Genetic Testing

October 19, 2022 10:40 am

by Mark L. Fuerst

Most people with a hereditary ovarian cancer syndrome are unaware of their underlying mutation, and the majority have not had genetic testing.

In a recent article in the ASCO Educational Book, Melissa Frey, MD, MS, … Read more

Identifying the Underlying Causes of Ovarian Cancer

October 6, 2022 1:48 pm

by Cedars-Sinai

New Studies Led by Cedars-Sinai Investigators Help Pinpoint Genetic Risk Factors Tied to Increased Risk of Ovarian Cancer and Suggest How to Better Identify Women Most At Risk

Image on left: Simon Gayther, PhD, professor of Biomedical Sciences, Read more