Easy testing for defective DNA repair

Easy testing for defective DNA repair

Olaparib, durvalumab, and cyclophosphamide, and a prognostic blood signature in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer: the randomized phase 2 SOLACE2 trial

https://tinyurl.com/dmncvndv

Defective DNA repair causes about half of all ovarian cancer. For those women who develop this cancer, and are shown to have the defect, treatment with PARP inhibitors (PARPi) will extend progress-free survival (PFS). Identifying these women is costly and unreliable. A new finding obtained from an otherwise inconclusive clinical trial may lead to a cheaper and dependable test.

The Solace 2 trial sought over a 4-year period to prove that stimulating an immune response before starting conventional therapy would improve PFS for women with advanced high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC). It is well known that HGSOC depresses immunity, and this accounts for the usual bad outcomes. The trial did not achieve the key indicator, which was 36-week PFS for two-thirds of the treatment group.

An unexpected finding from the trial was the effectiveness of a blood test for defective DNA repair. This test identifies T cell checkpoints found with this defect, meaning it may soon be possible to quickly and easily determine who will benefit from PARPi therapy.