HRR is a signaling pathway in cells that allow them to fix damage in the double strand of a DNA helix. Mutations in the BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 genes may increase the risk of several cancers, especially breast and ovarian cancers. To better understand why some ovarian cancer patients may be responding well to new targeted therapy treatments, here’s a glossary of some of the terms described in this article:īRCA: Breast cancer gene. And long-term side effects and risks such as myelodysplastic syndrome are rare.” Alphabet soupĬancer terms, abbreviations and acronyms often get conflated and cause confusion. Some patients may have anemia, low platelets or nausea, but the majority stabilize over time. The side effects are fewer, in comparison to chemotherapy. “This has been such a mover and shaker in the ovarian cancer world,” says Ruchi Garg, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist and National Program Director of Gynecologic Oncology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America ® (CTCA). Patients who have tumors with HRD are responding well to a relatively new type of targeted therapy drug called poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors.
Up to 50 percent of women with advanced ovarian cancer have HRD-positive cancer cells. Homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) occurs when genes that regulate the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway are damaged and the cells are unable to fix their broken DNA. But now, doctors and scientists have identified a genetic feature-or biomarker-that’s leading to positive outcomes for ovarian cancer treatments.
Most cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed in advanced stages, resulting in a poor five-year survival rate. Its symptoms aren’t always obvious, making the cancer difficult to diagnose early. Ovarian cancer has historically been a difficult cancer to treat.
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