Ovarian Cancer Treatment: What are the 3 Main Drivers of Progress?

Difficult to diagnose and particularly deadly, ovarian cancer affects nearly 5,900 French women and is responsible for 3,500 deaths every year.

“However, significant progress has been made in this area over the last three decades, particularly in Europe. The significant advance in the treatment of ovarian cancer is the result of three factors of progress,” noted National Academy of Medicine in a press release.

1/ Molecular dismemberment

The first driver of progress is molecular dismemberment, which has made it possible to identify different types of ovarian cancer and therefore to guide new therapeutic strategies.This approach has notably made it possible to guide the prescription of Poly-ADP-Ribose-Polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. which have revolutionized the treatment of certain aggressive cancers”, details the National Academy of Medicine.

2/ The quality of surgical care

The second driver of progress in the treatment of ovarian cancer is the increase in the quality of surgical management.

“Exploratory coelioscopy now makes it possible to assess the condition of the abdominal cavity and protected biopsies for histological or molecular analyses,” explain the doctors. “The surgical procedure then aims for complete excision, either immediately or after chemotherapy. The challenge is to avoid leaving tumor residues in place which will affect survival in the long term,” they continue.

3/ Recognition of expert centers

Finally, the third driver of progress is the recognition of expert centers based on minimum thresholds of activities and number of surgeons. “It highlights the organizational and public health dimension of care for advanced ovarian cancers,” writes the National Academy of Medicine. “Following initial findings in Scandinavian countries and Germany, and then recommendations from the European Society of Gynecologic Oncology (ESGO), the certification of expert centers imposes a minimum activity threshold of 20 cases of ovarian cancer treated per year and per surgeon. A workforce of at least two surgeons per establishment is also required, with the target to be reached after 5 years being at least 50 cases/year/practitioner”, she continues.

In the face of these encouraging developments, the National Academy of Medicine also emphasizes that “the surgical component of the treatment requires, to be effective and safe, to be carried out by teams who are very active in this field” and “the organization of care in the territory must be adjusted so that patients with suspected or confirmed ovarian cancer can access referral establishments as quickly as possible.”