Dr. Dorff Discusses the Use of PARP Inhibitors in Prostate Cancer

Tanya B. Dorff, MD, associate clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology and Therapeutics Research, and head of the genitourinary cancers program at City of Hope, discusses the use of PARP inhibitors in prostate cancer.

Several years ago, a paper in the New England Journal of Medicine showed the efficacy of PARP inhibitors in prostate cancer. Specifically, the authors reported that olaparib (Lynparza) led to responses in a high percentage of patients with prostate cancer who had DNA repair defects. There are several PARP inhibitors being studied in ongoing clinical trials, and early data suggest this strategy will have a more prominent role in the future, says Dorff. The key will be identifying the right mutations to target as well as defining the optimal settings for use, she adds.

Olaparib has already been tested in a phase III study against physician’s choice of docetaxel, abiraterone acetate (Zytiga), or enzalutamide (Xtandi). Within the next couple of years, comparative data should allow researchers to effectively place PARP inhibitors in the prostate cancer landscape.