Dr. Coleman on the Utility of Biomarkers for Precision Medicine in Ovarian Cancer

Robert L. Coleman, MD, FACOG, FACS, chief scientific officer of The US Oncology Network, discusses the utility of biomarkers in precision medicine.

The discovery of new elements in tumor biology is an exciting space, however, only certain elements can be labeled as predictive, explains Coleman. In other words, while the element may be associated with the prognosis of the disease, using a drug that targets this factor may not lead to any benefits in a patient’s treatment. To date, such cases have not been common, although they are certainly beginning to emerge, says Coleman. 

PARP inhibitors have always demonstrated great success, thus, they are a perfect example of the utility of biomarkers in precision medicine, adds Coleman. PARP inhibitors allow investigators to measure homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) in several ways. First, they help them fully understand different types of alterations, such as germline mutations and somatic mutations.

Additionally, PARP inhibitors help investigators identify a reflection of having global HRD in the tumor, which may not be associated with one specific tumor, explains Coleman. All in all, this is a very simple way to analyze predictive biomarkers and their impact on precision medicine.