Dr. Litton on the Impact of PARP Inhibitors in Breast Cancer

Jennifer Litton, MD, associate professor in the Department of Breast Medical Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discusses the impact of PARP inhibitors in breast cancer.

Initially, PARP inhibitors took a backseat to other therapies in breast cancer and ovarian cancer following negative data with iniparib, says Litton. However, it was later discovered that iniparib did not truly block PARP in patients. Following the results of the OlympiAD and EMBRACA trials, enthusiasm for PARP inhibitors has been restored.

In the phase III OlympiAD trial, patients with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer and a germline BRCA mutation were randomized to receive either olaparib (Lynparza) or standard therapy. In the phase III EMBRACA trial, the same patient population was randomized to receive either talazoparib (Talzenna) or standard physician’s choice monotherapy. In both trials, the use of PARP inhibitors resulted in improvements in progression-free survival compared with physician’s choice of chemotherapy. In fact, for patients with germline BRCA-mutant metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer, PARP inhibitors have introduced a new standard, says Litton. Moreover, both studies showed an improved quality of life (QoL), she adds.