Olaparib

[SharonCol]

Hi, has anyone heard of goodnewsnetwork.org wherin it states that a breakthrough drug called olaparib has dramatically increased increased the lifespan and survival rate of ovarian cancer patients.?? t states that the drug was associated witha 70% reduction in cancer relapse. Thanks, best wishes to all.

[SBlau Partner]

Hi SharonCol, I think they are referring to recent results from the SOLO-1 trial that revealed impressive results last month. You can read more about it from these resources:

cancernetwork.com/ovarian-c...

ocrahope.org/2018/10/mainte...

medpagetoday.com/meetingcov...

The results of this phase III trial pertain to women who carry the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation. SHARE will be having a webinar on this subject in January with Dr. Kathleen Moore, the author of the SOLO-1 Trial. I'll share information about that webinar when it is available.

Best Wishes

[SharonCol in reply to SBlau]

Thank so much for the information. I do not have the BRCA gene and my oncologist told me that, as such, there is nothing available for me as a maintenance drug and as I have had one re occurrence, the second re occurrence is likely to occur faster than the first. I have lots of anxiety that I will miss catching the re occurrence soon enough to treat. I will again discuss maintenance drugs with my oncologist during my next appointment in 2 weeks.

Thanks again.

[SBlau Partner in reply to SharonCol]

The SOLO-1 trial only studied women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, that is why I say those results only pertain to those with a BRCA mutation. There are maintenance therapies that are approved by the FDA for non-BRCA mutation carriers with ovarian cancer. It's a good idea to talk to your oncologist to get more information. SHARE did a short webinar on the subject a few weeks ago that you can view here:

sharecancersupport.org/ovar...

[GwenHP in reply to SharonCol]

SharonCol one of the things that is hard to avoid doing is getting caught up in the statistics and driving ourselves nuts. My Dad reminded me when I was first diagnosed that I was an individual and statistics don’t apply to individuals. I’m a perfect example of that. Statistics gave me a 17-20% of living 5 years. I’m now a 13 year survivor. And I had one recurrence early on but haven’t had another since 2008 - 10 years ago. It’s not that statistics aren’t important but they have their place looking at large populations of people not at what an individual will experience. I hope this helps.

[SharonCol in reply to GwenHP]

Thanks Gwen for the uplifting response. Its good to hear something positive. I'm happy for you and wish you continued good health. Instead of looking at stats, I will use your experience as my guideline for the future. Thanks again!

[SurvivorSusan in reply to SBlau]

I would very much like to listen to that webinar. What do I have to do to get a notification?

[SBlau Partner in reply to SurvivorSusan]

To register for the webinar with Dr. Kathleen Moore on Wed, Jan 23, 2019 2:30 PM ET, visit attendee.gotowebinar.com/re...

Hope you can join us!

[jloreth]

I have been on it for a year now, with little to no side affects. I am BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative, I am able to take it as a result of the SOLO-2 Trail. My CA125 remains below 10, so I am very hopeful that I can remain in remission for a long time.

If you are BRCA1 and BRCA2 negative there are some very narrow windows that you are be prescribed the drug, so I would definitely check with your Doctor.

[SurvivorSusan]

I'm part of a clinical trial using olaparib. I just started 5 days ago. My cancer did relapse after 5.5 years cancer free. The trial is for people who have had a recurrence and who have the BRCA mutation. They are using it as a cure for the first time. I would love to talk to other people who are part of this trial.

[SharonCol]

Unfortunately, my doctor told me that there was nothing that they could give me as a maintenance drug as I am BRAC negative. It has been less than 3 months since I finished chemotherapy and my CA 125 is now up. I will be going for a CT scan tomorrow. I am sure the Cancer is hard at work. I am not ready to give up and I hope my doctor can give me something to kick cancer to the curb. Best wishes to all.