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Ovarian Cancer: Targeted and Immunotherapies

Targeted therapies are designed to kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells. Immunotherapies help the immune system detect and attack cancer cells. Learn more about how they are used for ovarian cancer.
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Targeted and Immunotherapies for Ovarian and Related Cancers

This section covers the following topics:

What is ?

Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment designed to attack or kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells as much as possible. They are designed to target abnormal proteins, receptors or genes that are found in cancer cells or the surrounding tissue. Targeted therapies are used to treat advanced ovarian cancer. Two targeted therapies most commonly used for ovarian cancer are:

  • Avastin (bevacizumab)
  • PARP inhibitors

Avastin

Avastin is a targeted therapy that works by cutting off the blood supply to the cancer. It may be given as treatment in combination with chemotherapy, or as  after treatment alone or in combination with Lynparza.

PARP inhibitors 

PARP inhibitors work by blocking a protein used by cells to repair damaged . They were initially developed to treat cancers in people with an inherited gene mutation or mutation. Three PARP inhibitors have been approved for treating ovarian cancer:

  • Lynparza ()
  • ()
  • ()

PARP inhibitors have received approval for maintenance therapy after chemotherapy treatment for advanced ovarian cancer to keep the cancer from coming back or growing:

  • Lynparza, Rubraca and Zejula have all been approved for maintenance therapy after chemotherapy. See the table below for more information about the indication for each drug. 

Research is ongoing to learn if PARP inhibitors are also affective for treating ovarian cancer in other situations, including:  

  • people with an  in a different gene that repairs DNA damage (for example: , , , ).
  • people who do not have an inherited gene mutation, but tumor testing found an acquired tumor mutation in a gene that repairs DNA damage.
  • in combination with or other agents.

Visit our research section to find ovarian cancer treatment research studies. 

Other targeted therapies

Targeted therapies are often given to people based on specific changes in their cancer cells. Tumor biomarker testing can help doctors identify the patients most likely to benefit from a targeted therapy. Below is a list of some of the targeted therapies that may be used to treat certain types of ovarian cancer, often after chemotherapy stops working.

  • ELAHERE (mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx) may be used for recurrent ovarian cancer that tests positive for a biomarker known as FRα (folate receptor alpha).
  • Vitrakvi (larotrectinib) is approved for treatment of ovarian cancer that is or cannot be removed with surgery and has worsened with other treatments. It targets a specific genetic change called an NTRK fusion. This type of genetic change is found in a range of cancers.
  • Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) is a type of targeted therapy approved for treatment of advanced, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer if tumor testing shows a biomarker called
  • Retevmo (Selpercatinib) if tumor testing is positive for a biomarker called RET gene fusion. 

Speak with your doctor if you have advanced ovarian cancer and you are not sure if you had biomarker testing, or if you don't understand your test results.

Researchers are studying new ways to use targeted therapies to treat endometrial cancer. Visit our Featured Research section for more information.

What is immunotherapy? 

Immunotherapies are cancer treatments that help the body’s immune system detect and attack cancer cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are a type of immunotherapy used to treat several types of cancer, including some types of ovarian cancer. Some cancer cells can switch off the immune system. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that prevent this from happening. This allows the immune system to find, unmask and destroy cancer cells.

  • Keytruda (pembrolizumab) is an immune check point inhibitor approved for treatment of metastatic cancer with a biomarker known as  (or ). Although this biomarker is not common in ovarian cancer, it is often seen in people with a gene mutation who develop cancer. It is also approved for treating people with a biomarker known as TMB-high. 
  • Jemperli (dostarlimab) is an immunotherapy approved for treatment of metastatic cancer with a biomarker known as MSI-high (or dMMR). Although this biomarker is not common in ovarian cancer, it is often seen in people with a Lynch syndrome gene mutation who develop cancer.

See our Immunotherapy section for more information. 

Table listing targeted and immunotherapies for ovarian cancer

Open Table
Table of targeted and immunotherapies for ovarian cancer: Table listing the targeted and immunotherapies used for the treatment of ovarian cancer
Last updated January 04, 2024