May 8th marks World Ovarian Cancer Day, and annually, it is an opportunity to globally embrace solidarity in the fight against ovarian cancer. In celebration of World Ovarian Cancer Day, we should highlight some promising research. Currently, women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are treated with chemotherapy, namely paclitaxel and carboplatin. When patients become resistant to these drugs, effective treatment options are rather limited. Fortunately, in 2021, Dr. Robert Bast reported the preliminary results from a Phase I ovarian cancer trial, involving a small molecule inhibitor (a drug that can enter cells easily because it has a low molecular weight) that can improve a patient’s response to paclitaxel in ovarian cancer. Also, the research team discovered that the inhibitor increased carboplatin’s ability to induce programmed cell death (i.e., the drug’s ability to kill cancerous cells was improved). If the ongoing Phase I ovarian cancer trial continues is successful, a Phase I/II trial incorporating the molecule inhibitor and carboplatin may be initiated. This exciting discovery suggests that women undergoing ovarian cancer treatment may have a more promising clinical outlook, especially those patients who experience resistance to carboplatin and paclitaxel or have a recurrence of ovarian cancer.
About Women’s Cancer Research Foundation The Women’s Cancer Research Foundation (WCRF) is one of Southern California’s and the nation’s most active research organizations for female cancers. We are dedicated to serving the interests of patients, families, and friends affected by women’s cancers. WCRF partners with physician-scientists nationally to make differences in women’s lives by offering hope, strength, and progress.
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