Title:PARP Inhibitor Drugs in the Treatment of Breast, Ovarian, Prostate and Pancreatic Cancers: An Update of Clinical Trials
Volume: 19
Issue: 1
Author(s): Dalia Kamel*, Christopher Gray, Jagdeep Singh Walia and Vikaash Kumar*
Affiliation:
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center of Southeastern Ontario, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6,Canada
- Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Center of Southeastern Ontario, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6,Canada
Keywords:
Breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, cancer of pancreas, PARP inhibitor, Olaparib.
Abstract: Background: PARP inhibitors appear to offer a promising role in the accompaniment of many
of the cytotoxic agents used in the present day to combat cancer proliferation in BRCA ½ deficient tumors.
Current species of PARP inhibitors have yet to demonstrate a superior effect to that of existing
therapies when administered as a single agent; however, they have appeared to amplify the effect of these
existing chemotherapies when utilized together. This suggests that PARP inhibitors could play an effective
maintenance role in current cancer-combating strategies. In the immediate future, PARP inhibitors
may only be applicable to a select group of cancers (i.e., those caused by defective HR pathways), though
research is emerging that could indicate an extension of applicability to HR proficient cancer types as
well. For the time being, however, the current literature suggests that a viable PARP inhibitorchemotherapy
hybrid targeting HR deficient cancers could be well on its way very soon.
Objective: In this manuscript we explores the ongoing and the completed clinical trials for different
PARP inhibitors.
Conclusion: Since the approval of Olaparib by both FDA and EMA, further clinical trials continue to
investigate the use of Olaparib and other PARP inhibitors. The anticipating outcome of these trials
may clarify the benefit of PARP inhibitors in management of various BRCA mutated solid tumors.
