FORCE's eXamining the Relevance of Articles for You (XRAY) program looks behind the headlines of cancer news to help you understand what the research means for you.
XRAY is a reliable source of hereditary cancer research-related news and information.
Learn more about the XRAY program
Categories Clinical Trials
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : More is not better: PARP dose can be safely reduced for people with ovarian cancer
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People taking a PARP inhibitor for ovarian cancer maintenance therapy
Maintenance therapy with a PARP inhibitor is now the standard of care for many people with advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer. However, PARP inhibitors may have significant side effects. This study shows that reducing the dose of a PARP inhibitor does not affect survival. (Posted 11/8/22)
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Update : PARP inhibitors withdrawn as third-line or later treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer
Most relevant for: people with recurrent ovarian cancer who have received 3 or more prior lines of treatment and who have an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 or whose tumor is HRD positive
Survival data from a clinical trial signaled that PARP inhibitors may not work as well as chemotherapy for patients with recurrent ovarian cancer who have received three or more lines of treatment. As a result, FDA approvals have been withdrawn for PARP inhibitors in this setting. This does not affect PARP inhibitor approvals for use as maintenance therapy for ovarian cancer. (Posted 10/4/22)
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Study : PARP inhibitor treatment for metastatic prostate cancer shows most benefit in men with inherited BRCA mutations
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Human Research
Most relevant for: People with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer who have an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA2.
This study looked at the benefit of using the PARP inhibitor niraparib to treat metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Participants included those with an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 or an inherited or tumor mutation in another gene that affects DNA repair. Participants with an inherited or tumor mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2 had better survival compared to those without a BRCA mutation. Side effects from niraparib were common, and consistent with previous reports for PARP inhibitors. (posted 9/6/2022)
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Screening for pancreatic cancer detects early-stage disease and improves survival
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People at increased risk for pancreatic cancer because of family history or an inherited mutation.
A research study has shown that screening for pancreatic cancer in people with an inherited mutation or family history was able to detect early-stage pancreatic cancers and improve survival. These results will likely change pancreatic cancer screening guidelines for high-risk individuals (Posted 8/30/22)
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Study : Clinical trial eligibility excludes more Black than white patients
Most relevant for: People with pancreatic cancer who are interested in participating in a clinical trial
Eligibility criteria stating who can and cannot participate in clinical trials are necessary. However, traditional eligibility criteria have led to the exclusion of Black people in pancreatic cancer clinical trials. This exclusion restricts patient access to new drugs and limits the ability to generalize results to the population of patients who will ultimately use the drug. Revising eligibility criteria, especially for patients with pancreatic cancer, may improve clinical trial access among Black people. (Posted 8/23/22)
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : A win for some patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer
A drug used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer improved survival in people with metastatic breast cancers that were previously considered HER2-negative. These results change practice guidelines for metastatic breast cancer and reclassify HER2 tumor marker status as “HER2-low” to guide treatment. (Posted 7/18/22)
Update: On 08/05/2022 the FDA approved Enhertu to treat people with metastatic, HER2-low breast cancer who have received prior chemotherapy in the metastatic setting or who developed disease recurrence during or within six months of completing chemotherapy. Enhertu is also approved for treatment of people with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who progressed after prior anti-HER2 treatment. Este artículo está disponible en español.
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Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Study : Quality of life for people with early-stage breast cancer who participated in the OlympiA clinical trial
Relevance: Medium-High
Strength of Science: High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People with inherited mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 who have been diagnosed with early-stage, HER2-negative breast cancer.
The OlympiA study showed that the PARP inhibitor olaparib (Lynparza) is effective when used as maintenance therapy for people with an inherited BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation who have early-stage breast cancer. Patient-reported outcomes from OlympiA suggest that olaparib was well tolerated and did not reduce quality of life or delay recovery from chemotherapy. (posted 2/22/22) Update: Based on OlympiA results, the FDA approved olaparib as adjuvant treatment for people with an inherited BRCA mutation who were diagnosed with early-stage HER2-negative breast cancer at high risk for recurrence. (03/11/2022).
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Article : Overview of pancreatic cancer treatment options
Most relevant for: People with pancreatic cancer
This review looks at current strategies for pancreatic cancer care and potential future therapies. (posted 7/28/21)
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Update : FDA allows testing of a vaccine designed to prevent breast cancer
Most relevant for: Patients with non-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer at high risk of recurrence.
Scientists have been working for many years to develop a vaccine that will prevent breast cancer. The FDA recently announced that the first clinical trial to test a preventive breast cancer vaccine can begin. This vaccine is the result of over a decade of research in animals and human cells. While researchers will first test the vaccine in women who have breast cancer, they hope to use this vaccine in the future to prevent breast cancer. (posted 5/25/21)
THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN UPDATED on 10/12/2021: The clinical trial discussed in this XRAY review has begun recruiting participants. Researchers hope to enroll 24 patients with non-metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. The trial is being conducted at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. More information on this trial can be found here.
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Relevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Update : Immunotherapy dostarlimab gains FDA approval for treatment of recurrent and advanced endometrial cancer
Relevance: High
Strength of Science: Medium-High
Research Timeline: Post Approval
Most relevant for: People with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer
The FDA has given accelerated approval for the immunotherapy agent dostarlimab (Jemperli) to treat recurrent and advanced endometrial cancer that has a biomarker called mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR). This adds a new treatment option for people with recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer. (posted 5/18/21)
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