At an ASCO press conference held during the Annual Meeting, moderator Gregory A. Masters, MD, FASCO, who is Attending Physician at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center and Research Institute, Newark, Delaware, commented on the study presented by Liu et al. “This new combination demonstrates how combining active therapies can build on improving treatment. The cumulative understanding of cancer biology and clinical research can link these steps in progress in cancer care over the last 50 years,” he said.

Don S. Dizon, MD, FACP, a medical oncologist and the Director of the Oncology Sexual Health Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, said, “Women with platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer are the patients we would consider for surgical debulking or reoperation. We believe that there is a survival advantage if we can further resect platinum sensitive disease, but this has not been proved. This oral combination takes repeat surgery off the table.”

Regarding the present study, Dr. Dizon offered the following takeaway points: “(1) olaparib and cediranib represent a nonchemotherapy orally based combination that appears active in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, (2) we need to be cautiously enthusiastic because we don’t have overall survival data, and (3) we need a phase III trial.” ■

Disclosure: Drs. Masters and Dizon reported no potential conflicts of interest.