Clare L. Scott, MBBS, PhD

Invited discussant Clare L. Scott, MBBS, PhD, Chair of Gynaecological Cancer at the University of Melbourne and medical oncologist at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia, said: “We now know that PARP [poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase] inhibitors are active post PARP therapy. We also have some data from this trial on the optimal timing of rechallenge…. All groups appear to benefit [from PARP inhibitor rechallenge] except those with an extremely brief duration of prior PARP inhibitor treatment.”

Dr. Scott continued: “We would benefit from more translational data to define groups of patients who would benefit from alternative or combination PARP therapies. Disease progression tends to occur early, and translational studies would help in determining the characteristics associated with a durable response.”

“This trial supports the need for more ‘PARP post-PARP’ trials, including combination therapies and biomarker-driven trials,” Dr. Scott noted.

DISCLOSURE: Dr. Scott has served on advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Clovis Oncology, Roche, Eisai, Sierra Oncology, Takeda, and Merck Sharp & Dohme; and has received research support from Clovis Oncology, Eisai, Sierra Oncology, Roche, BeiGene, and AstraZeneca.