Introduction
Olaparib (trade name: Lynparza) has been approved in Germany for the treatment of high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer or primary peritoneal cancer in women. It is an option for two groups of people:
- Women who have a BRCA mutation, are receiving platinum-based chemotherapy for the first time, and are benefiting from it.
- Women who are having a late recurrence and benefiting from platinum-based chemotherapy (platinum-sensitive relapse).
Ovarian cancer is caused by changes (mutations) in the genes of the cells. In some women they affect the genes BRCA1 or BRCA2, which also play a role in breast cancer. The abbreviation BRCA stands for breast cancer gene.
Ovarian cancer often stays undetected for a long time because there are no – or only nonspecific – symptoms at first. When the tumor is detected, it’s often already at an advanced stage. Advanced ovarian cancer is removed surgically. This is usually followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. If there's a recurrence (relapse), doctors distinguish between two types:
- Platinum-resistant relapse (early relapse): The cancer returns within 6 months of chemotherapy.
- Platinum-sensitive relapse (late relapse): The cancer returns at least 6 months after chemotherapy.
Olaparib inhibits several proteins that influence tumor growth.