Olaparib (PARP Inhibitor) Slows Growth of BRCA-Related MBC

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zarovka
zarovka Member Posts: 3,607
edited July 2017 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

The following results just came out of ASCO. Yay. BRCA related cancer has a new option. They focused on BRCA related cancer but hopefully there will be benefit for the rest of us.

Findings from a phase III clinical trial of about 300 women may introduce poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors as a new type of treatment for breast cancer. Compared to standard chemotherapy, the oral targeted medicine olaparib (Lynparza) reduced the chance of progression of advanced, BRCA-related breast cancer by 42%, delaying progression by approximately 3 months. These data were presented by Robson et al today during the Plenary Session at the 2017 ASCO Annual Meeting (Abstract LBA4).

"This is the first demonstration of improved outcomes with a PARP inhibitor compared to standard treatment in women with BRCA mutation–associated breast cancer," said lead study author Mark E. Robson, MD, Clinic Director of the Clinical Genetics Service and medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. "It is especially encouraging to see that olaparib was effective against triple-negative breast cancers that arise in women with inherited, germline BRCA mutations. This type of breast cancer is particularly difficult to treat and often affects younger women."

Up to 3% of all breast cancers occur in people with inherited changes in genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. These changes lower the cell's ability to repair damaged DNA. Olaparib blocks other key players in the cell's DNA repair machinery, PARP1 and PARP2. Because of their underlying defect in DNA repair, cancer cells with BRCA mutations are particularly vulnerable to treatments that target PARP. Olaparib is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in women with BRCA-related ovarian cancer.

"This study is proof of the principle that breast cancers with defects in a specific DNA damage repair pathway are sensitive to a targeted therapy designed to exploit that defect," said Dr. Robson.

http://www.ascopost.com/News/55706

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  • Nan812
    Nan812 Member Posts: 289
    edited June 2017

    hello....if any one is interested , I finally got funded for this parp inhibitor called Lynparza....its very costly ($12,000.00 per month)...I looked at my doc and said "even you couldnt afford this"....he said "you're right"...how can they do that?...so the FDA approved it but only for ovarian cancer so the insurance company didnt want to chip in...my doc appealed and appealed and contacted the pharmaceutical company who also chipped in when the insurance company finally had mercy on me and chipped in and i am happy to say that together they made this happen for a copay i can actually afford....so very happy because my doc has such high hopes for this med....many prayers were answered with this one my friends.

    UPS brought my meds today and i will post updates here if any one is interested in this parp inhibitor and any side effects. I take 6 pills in the morning and 6 at night. I am also getting IV infusions of Halaven that i started 3 weeks ago while i was waiting to get funded. Side effects from the Halaven have been tolerable and so far not much hair has fallen out but now that the hair they shaved for the brain surgery is growing in its natural cowlick is pushing the longer hair aside so now you can see that scar more....oh why am i so vain at a time like this, i may lose it all then there will be no hiding it and i'll go get that henna tattoo , LOL

    lots of hugs

    Z....thank you for this summary....you're always on top of all the latest info...i admire that so much, you're the best!

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  • allabunchofjs
    allabunchofjs Member Posts: 1
    edited June 2017

    Nan812 - how are you doing on olaparib so far? How are side effects? I am starting tomorrow (today I guess as it's the middle of the night). I was diagnosed with mets to the brain and skull a couple of weeks ago and had gamma knife 2 weeks ago. Took a couple of weeks to get olaparib - my insurance denied it but the pharmaceutical company approved me through their az&me program so I am receiving it at no cost.

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  • Nan812
    Nan812 Member Posts: 289
    edited July 2017

    hi bunch of...i'm so sorry that you have to be here , but know that there is so much support...its saved my sanity more than once...introduce yourself on the bone mets thread they're awesome....so it looks like you and i are playing a similar game....i really dont think im having any se from the olaparib except if i take all 6 pills at once i feel like i'm gonna be sick so i take 3 then in a half hour the other 3 and no more problem... i had some lingering se from GK (like rad poisoning) it seems each time i do it that part gets worse....i'm also on halaven and altho its fast its more what i've come to expect from chemo (my hair is now jumping off like im on fire,edema in feet and calves and i'm crazy tired)......i'm sure all of it combined is creating this crap stew so maybe you can let me know how you feel so i can see whats coming from the olaparib lol....who knows what my combo will do, i dont think they do....are you on any thing else?.....best of luck kicking some cancer butt and i would love it if you kept me updated...CANCER SUCKS!! and i find that even with all the support , it's very lonely being stage 4....its seems for me i have only gotten real understanding from other stage 4ers......sending you a big ((hug))

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  • Cure-ious
    Cure-ious Member Posts: 2,626
    edited July 2017

    I want to chime in that we could ALL be taking and benefitting from a PARP inhibitor, regardless of BRCA mutant status, if and when the CDK12 inhibitors get FDA approval. That will take some time because right now CDK12 inhibitors are only in clinical trials as monotherapy, have yet to be tested in combination with PARP inhibitors. Because CDK12 inhibitors eliminate expression of the BRCA protein, they should make any cancer respond to a PARP inhibitor. For this reason, those of us with the normal (not mutant) BRCA would appreciate hearing about Olaparib and the other PARP inhibitors, in terms of side effects and dosing, etc, and hopefully this can become a widespread therapy...

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  • Nan812
    Nan812 Member Posts: 289
    edited July 2017

    cure-ious.....thanks for the insite i will be doing some research on CDK12 now..

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  • Nan812
    Nan812 Member Posts: 289
    edited July 2017

    hello....i have discovered that i cant take all six pills in one go (or they all want to come back up)....i will take my anti nausea then 3 pills , one half hour later i take the other 3 and they dont even think of coming up.....doc says ok just dont forget the other 3 so i always take them out where i can see them cuz you know how chemo brain is...scans at the end of the month so i'll update then....big hugs....

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