One of the many problems with ovarian cancer is that many women (about 15%) do not respond to standard therapy. These women are termed as platinum resistant, have a recurrence before six months after initial treatment, with very poor outcomes.
This study looks at identifying those women so that alternative personalised treatment might be considered. It is a retrospective review of pretreatment biopsy obtained from 242 women with high grade ovarian cancer. Of them, 97 were platinum resistant.
Using proteogenomic analysis, which combines information from whole of genome sequencing and spectroscopic data about protein and RNA transcription, different subgroups were identified. In particular a protein signature common to all the platinum resistant cancers may assist in early diagnosis.
As of now there is no alternative effective treatment. However, the authors suggest that early identification may mean that the adverse side effects of platinum chemo can be avoided, with more palliative care being appropriate for these women.
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