Finnish Researchers Developed A New Genetic Test That Can Improve The Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer

Scientists at the University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital recently published a novel study in which they developed a new genetic test that can identify patients with ovarian cancer who benefit from PARP inhibitors– a targeted cancer drug.
This finding is crucial since PARP inhibitor therapy is linked with potentially serious side effects. In turn, it is crucial to target the drug to patients who would reap the most benefits.
The test, which was optimized for the Finnish population, was clinically approved at HUS– the largest healthcare provider in Finland– and is used to test all ovarian cancer patients in the country.
As of 2022, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland has also included PARP inhibitors among its list of drugs. This means that the expense of PARP inhibitors can be reimbursed based on genetic testing.
“The genetic test helps to identify patients who do not benefit from the drug, thus avoiding unnecessary treatment and the adverse effects associated with the drug,” explained Anniina Farkkila, a specialist from HUH Helsinki University Hospital.
“At the same time, as much as millions of euros of public funds can be saved.”
But, the test does not only improve the likelihood of optimal PARP inhibitor response among patients while saving federal funds.
It is also helping more patients gain access to the drug therapy– which can drastically improve their quality of life.
Compared to other gynecological cancers, ovarian cancer has a worse prognosis. Additionally, patients’ diagnoses are also often delayed because symptoms present as minor or unclear.

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In recent years, though, new PARP inhibitors have proven highly successful as a maintenance treatment used after cytostatic therapy and surgery among newly diagnosed ovarian cancer patients.
PARP inhibitor therapy can extend patients’ survival time and add disease-free years onto their timeline. According to Farkkila, some patients who had been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer may even be “considered cured” in coming years– all thanks to the drug.
The genetic test was developed by the research team with the assistance of machine learning. In essence, it is able to reliably identify patients with tumors that have specific gene defects– which are typical of ovarian cancer.
Approximately half of all ovarian cancers have a deficiency located in a distinct DNA repair pathway. In turn, cancer cells that have this deficiency are not able to successfully repair breakages in the DNA double-strand– which causes DNA lesions to accumulate.
However, these lesions are the result of a deficiency in the HRD– or the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway. So, it is these specific types of tumors that are responsive to PARP inhibitors.
“Clinical trials have shown that patients with HRD tumors have a strong response to PARP inhibitors, while the response of other patients is poor,” said Fernando Perez, a doctoral researcher from the University of Helsinki.
So, these study results displayed how every cancer type is associated with varying characteristics of HRD-related genetic lesions. And developing a genetic test that was optimized for ovarian cancer was a critical step in the advancement of therapy precision for this cancer type.
“The gene test and the algorithms are now freely available and can be used in clinical care and trials to guide the treatment of ovarian cancer,” Perez said.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in NPJ Precision Oncology, visit the link here.
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