Ovarian cancer, what therapeutic progress?

The therapeutic management of ovarian cancer is based on carcinological surgery in the early stages and systemic treatments in the advanced stages. These systemic treatments, in particular chemotherapy based on platinum salts and the arrival of targeted therapy based on anti-angiogenics, have proven to be effective in improving patient survival. Nevertheless, these advances in systemic treatments remain unsatisfactory, the development of molecular biology has made it possible to identify molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis which are currently the subject of therapeutic targets and for some years the prognosis of advanced ovarian cancers has improved. Much has changed with the integration of PARP (Poly ADP Ribose Polymerase) inhibitors into the therapeutic arsenal of these tumours. These PARP inhibitors therefore confirm their efficacy as a maintenance treatment in patients with first-line ovarian cancer or with platinum-sensitive relapse in response to platinum-based chemotherapy. Currently, other treatment strategies with PARP inhibitors are proposed, in particular associations with other therapeutic classes with the aim of improving patient survival. In this article we will review the latest news on systemic treatments for ovarian cancer in view of the results of studies presented in the American congress: American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and European: European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO); which were held in 2021.