Dr. Dorff on 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.

PARP inhibitors will likely be the next drugs approved for patients with prostate cancer, says Dorff. Several phase III trials have completed, with results showing that these drugs are effective in patients with BRCA-mutated disease as well as certain other DNA-repair deficiency populations.

Moving forward, physicians are going to see comparative studies of olaparib (Lynparza) versus physician's choice of abiraterone acetate (Zytiga), enzalutamide (Xtandi), or docetaxel. Those studies are going to be important in terms of benchmarking, as they will serve as the first sets of directly comparative data on existing versus emerging strategies. Having these data available will have a huge impact, adds Dorff. Only 20% or 25% of patients have these mutations, but for those who do, it's going to be a very beneficial tool to have, she concludes.