CHEK2: Options for Cancer Treatment
Cancer Treatment for People with Inherited
CHEK2 Mutations
People with an inherited mutation who have been diagnosed with cancer may have different treatment options than people without a mutation. To learn more about standard-of-care treatment options for specific types of cancer, visit our section on Cancer Treatment by Cancer Type.
If you have an inherited CHEK2 mutation, have been diagnosed with cancer and any of the situations below apply to you, you may wish to speak to your doctor about your medical options. You may also consider enrolling in a clinical trial studying which treatments work best for people with an inherited CHEK2 mutation.
Regardless of cancer type, people with a CHEK2 mutation may benefit from testing and may qualify for clinical trials looking for more effective treatments for cancer.
Breast cancer surgical decisions
Experts estimate that women with CHEK2 mutations who have been diagnosed with cancer have about a 6-8 percent risk for developing a second cancer within 10 years. Because of this increased risk, some women who are diagnosed with breast cancer who test positive for an in CHEK2 may choose mastectomy rather than and radiation. Mutation carriers who undergo mastectomy are less likely to develop a second breast cancer.
Targeted therapies for advanced cancers
PARP inhibitors are a type of that work by blocking a protein used to repair that has been damaged. They were initially developed to treat cancers in people with an inherited or mutation. Since then, research and additional approvals have expanded use of PARP inhibitors to more situations. People with a CHEK2 mutation who have been diagnosed with cancer may want to ask their doctor about therapy.
prostate cancer
The PARP inhibitors, Lynparza () and () have received FDA approval to treat metastatic castration-resistant cancer (mCRPC) with a mutation in CHEK2 or another gene linked to a certain type of DNA damage repair.
PARP inhibitors for advanced ovarian, or primary peritoneal cancer
Several PARP inhibitors have been approved to treat ovarian cancers at different stages of the disease. In some situations, a tumor known as an test ("") can help people with an inherited CHEK2 mutation and advanced ovarian cancer learn if they may benefit from a PARP inhibitor.
after treatment
- HRD testing can help determine which advanced ovarian cancers may respond to the PARP inhibitor Lynparza in combination with bevacizumab as maintenance therapy after first-line platinum chemotherapy.
- is approved for maintenance therapy for advanced ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer in people who had a complete or partial response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. Zejula for maintenance therapy does not require an HRD test.
Maintenance therapy after treatment of recurrent cancer
- Zejula, () and Lynparza are all approved for maintenance therapy in people with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum based chemotherapy. In this setting, none of these drugs requires an HRD test.
PARP inhibitors for other advanced cancers with no treatment options
If you have a CHEK2 mutation and advanced cancer that no longer responds to standard therapy, you may want to talk with your doctor about whether you might benefit from treatment with a PARP inhibitor.
