Learn about the latest treatments for advanced ovarian cancer. We’ve got it covered, from new FDA approvals to emerging approaches in immunotherapy, targeted therapy, cancer vaccines, drug combinations, antibody-drug conjugates, and more.

  • February 2, 2021 

    How an Expert Would Manage Her Own Advanced Ovarian Cancer

    With: Summer Dewdney, MD

    Cancer patients often ask their doctors, “What would you do if you were me?” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks oncologist Summer Dewdney, MD, how she would handle her own diagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer. Dr. Dewdney is Director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. Curious Dr. George: You are an expert clinical oncologist treating patients… Read more »

  • September 1, 2020 

    Ovarian Cancer—An Overview (2020)Bookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes:

    Medscape has published this excellent, authoritative, comprehensive overview of ovarian cancer, which includes information on diagnosis and treatment. (Written with a physician audience in mind.)

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  • August 7, 2020 

    Clinical Challenges: Platinum-Resistant Ovarian CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from MedPage Today curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Chemotherapy in the form of a single drug (as opposed to a combination of drugs) remains the best treatment for relapsed, platinum-resistant, serous, epithelial ovarian cancer. However, clinical trials are exploring new targeted therapy and immunotherapy options for this disease.

    Go to full article published by MedPage Today.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • August 7, 2020 

    FDA Approves Merck’s Keytruda, Foundation Medicine CDx for TMB-High Solid TumorsBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from GenomeWeb curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the drug pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) for solid tumors based solely on whether they have a high tumor mutational burden—a high number of changes in the DNA of the cancer cells.

    Go to full article published by GenomeWeb.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • June 8, 2020 

    New Treatments for Ovarian Cancer in 2020

    Smruti Vidwans, PhD

    Women with ovarian cancer once relied solely on chemotherapy to treat their disease. However, in recent years, treatment options have expanded, and new options are also on the horizon. Read on to learn more about ovarian cancer and how it can be treated. What are the risk factors and symptoms of ovarian cancer? The American Cancer Society estimates that, in 2020, about 21,750 American… Read more »

  • May 30, 2020 

    Overall Survival Benefit Shown for Maintenance Olaparib in Ovarian CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from The ASCO Post curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Clinical trial results have shown a 13-month overall survival benefit from maintenance therapy—treatment to prevent or delay recurrence—with olaparib for advanced ovarian cancer.

    Go to full article published by The ASCO Post.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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The best part of cancer commons is timely access to a tumor board. It gives reassurance to the patient and family that the current treatment approach is correct and that other options are available.

Caregiver of a cancer patient

Molecular tests help match patients to the personalized treatments that are most likely to work for them. Keep up with new developments in genetic tests, blood tests, liquid biopsies, tumor mutations, other biomarkers, precision medicine, and next-generation sequencing.

  • February 7, 2017 

    Testing for Tumor Mutations: Liquid Biopsy Versus Traditional Biopsy

    Emma Shtivelman, PhD

    Update as of August 27, 2020: A lot has changed in the three-and-a-half years since this blog post was written. Liquid biopsies are by now widely recognized and used as a valuable diagnostic and monitoring tool. Many of the reservations and concerns described in the original post below have been addressed and largely resolved by refining the technology. The latest proof of this is… Read more »

  • February 11, 2020 

    Carcinoma of Unknown Primary Case Reviewed in Tumor Board SessionBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from CAP Today curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Tumor boards are an established method of dealing with problem cancer cases. In precision oncology, they may, even must, be molecular. This is a great example of how a molecular tumor board can provide actionable insights for patients.

    Go to full article published by CAP Today.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • November 12, 2019 

    FDA Approves Test for Late-line HRD+ Ovarian CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Cancer Network curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    A new diagnostic test and new therapeutic drugs have received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain advanced ovarian cancers, which are always difficult to treat.

    Go to full article published by Cancer Network.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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Some of the most promising new treatments for advanced ovarian cancer are currently being tested in patients enrolled in clinical trials. We help you stay up to date on the latest results from these studies.

  • April 12, 2021 

    Long-Term Survival Data for Olaparib Maintenance in Ovarian Cancer Show Clinically Meaningful BoostBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Cancer Network reports results from 5 years of follow up for a clinical trial in which the drug olaparib (Lynparza) was given to people who had already been treated for relapsed, high-grade serous, or endometrioid ovarian cancer—including primary peritoneal or fallopian tube cancer. Overall survival data show that olaparib outperformed a placebo drug for these patients, suggesting the possibility that it could be an effective “maintenance therapy.”

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  • August 7, 2020 

    Final Results from KEYNOTE-100 Show Promise for Pembrolizumab MonotherapyBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Cancer Network curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes:

    Treatment with pembrolizumab (brand name Keytruda) on its own shows modest responses in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.

    Go to full article published by Cancer Network.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • May 30, 2020 

    Randomized Phase II Trial of Nivolumab Versus Nivolumab and Ipilimumab for Recurrent or Persistent Ovarian Cancer: An NRG Oncology StudyBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Research paper from the Journal of Clinical Oncology curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Eighty percent of ovarian cancers are first diagnosed after they have already spread. In the clinical trial discussed in this paper, a combination of two checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy drugs showed only modest benefit in advanced ovarian cancer.

    Go to full paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • January 6, 2020 

    Niraparib in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Advanced Ovarian CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Research paper from The New England Journal of Medicine curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    These clinical trials results suggest that the drug niraparib is superior to platinum-based chemotherapy for people with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer.

    Go to full paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • December 13, 2019 

    PARP Inhibitors Center Stage for Ovarian CancerBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Medscape curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Drugs known as PARP inhibitors can improve progression-free survival (PFS) in many patients with advanced ovarian cancers.

    Go to full article published by Medscape.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

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This free-of-charge, high-quality information service is a wonderful resource for patients with advanced cancer.

Hope S. Rugo, MD
UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center

Cancer affects many aspects of life, whether you’re newly diagnosed, in the midst of treatment, or in follow-up care. Learn about ways to maintain quality of life, such as palliative care and managing side effects.

  • October 14, 2019 

    Pediatric Palliative Care: A Specialty Comes of Age

    Sarah Friebert, MD

    For a child with cancer, palliative care can provide much-needed relief from stress and symptoms—for the patient and their family alike. Palliative care is given alongside cancer treatment, and is not synonymous with “end-of-life” care. In fact, anyone with a serious illness can benefit from palliative care, no matter their long-term outlook. Because of its importance for children with cancer, we are honored to… Read more »

  • February 20, 2021 

    Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance: For PatientsBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Living with ovarian cancer may require many adaptations. This respected organization can help. Learn about their comprehensive resources for patients.

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  • February 11, 2020 

    ‘Impressed With Impact’ of Ketamine in Cancer Palliative CareBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    Article from Medscape curated by Editor in Chief George Lundberg, MD, who notes: 

    Depression is, for obvious reasons, common in patients with advanced cancer. The old, inexpensive drug ketamine—already approved for medical use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—seems rapidly effective, according to small studies.

    Go to full article published by Medscape.

    If you’re wondering whether this story applies to your own cancer case or a loved one’s, we invite you to get support from Cancer Commons.

  • October 7, 2019 

    Emphasizing Oncogeriatrics

    With: Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, MD

    A Q&A with Nicolò Matteo Luca Battisti, MD, Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom, and Chair of the Young Interest Group of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG); nicolo.battisti@gmail.com Q: Everyone knows that the practice of pediatric oncology is very different from adult oncology. How does the growing field of oncogeriatrics differ from usual adult oncology? A:… Read more »

  • December 3, 2018 

    Best Uses of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Patients with Cancer

    With: Val Jones, MD

    A Q&A with Val Jones, MD, Medical Director of Admissions, Saint Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, Spokane, WA Originally published February 1, 2017 Q: Your principal practice in Spokane, Washington is physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). What do you find to be the best uses of PM&R in patients with cancer at your facility? A: Rehabilitation medicine is one of the best-kept secrets in healthcare. Although the… Read more »

  • September 14, 2018 

    Huge Progress in Palliative Care

    With: Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP

    A Q&A with Diane E. Meier, MD, FACP, Director, Center to Advance Palliative Care; Professor of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York, NY; diane.meier@mssm.edu Originally published November 8, 2017 Q: You wrote in MedGenMed in 2007 that palliative care was the job of all hospitals. In October 2017 you were honored at the National Academy of Medicine for… Read more »

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You’re not alone. Read how other patients and caregivers navigated diagnosis, treatment, and life with cancer. We hope their stories provide insights and hope for your own cancer journey.

More patient stories

Learn more about what’s new in advanced cancer research and treatment, including screening and statistics, using artificial intelligence to improve treatment, and other new horizons in cancer care.

  • April 7, 2021 

    Rankings of Most Common and Deadly Cancer Types Will Shift Over Next Two Decades

    In the next two decades, rankings of incidence and death across cancer types will undergo important changes in the U.S., according to new research led by Lola Rahib, PhD, Director of Scientific and Clinical Affairs at Cancer Commons, as well as the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) in collaboration with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Published today in JAMA Network Open,… Read more »

  • May 30, 2021 

    Cancer Support for LGBTQIA Patients Is MissingBookmark

    George Lundberg, MD

    This piece from ASCO Connection outlines the need for and a path to improvement in cancer care for LGBTQIA patients.

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  • March 29, 2021 

    Can Really Big Data Inform Precise Decisions for Individual Patients?

    With: Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA

    New technologies are transforming cancer research. By optimizing research protocols and leveraging data more efficiently and intelligently, these tools hold the promise to improve personalized cancer care. Here, our Curious Dr. George asks Matvey B. Palchuk, MD, MS, FAMIA, VP of Informatics at TriNetX, LLC, about the capabilities of his company’s platform. Curious Dr. George: Translational medicine has evolved to include personalized medicine and… Read more »

  • November 10, 2020 

    How to Learn About Cancer in a Classroom: Shaping Compassionate Doctors

    With: Marin Langlieb

    The patients and caregivers we serve here at Cancer Commons rely on their doctors to provide expert, compassionate care. Building the skills to give such care can begin early in a doctor’s education. Here, for a change of pace, our Curious Dr. George asks a future doctor about a unique experience that helped her learn how to connect with cancer patients. Marin Langlieb is… Read more »

  • September 9, 2020 

    Is Cancer the Best Way to Die?

    With: Richard Smith, CBE, FMedSci

    In 2014, the prestigious medical research journal The BMJ published a controversial piece called “Dying of cancer is the best death.” Here, our Curious Dr. George asks the author of that piece, Richard Smith, CBE, FMedSci, if and how his thoughts on death have since evolved. Dr. Smith was Editor of The BMJ from 1991 to 2004 and is currently Chair of the Lancet Commission… Read more »

  • August 21, 2020 

    The Power of Precision Medicine is Exemplified by Tempus

    With: Nike Beaubier, MDNamratha Sastry, PhD

    Tempus—a tech company & partner of Cancer Commons—empowers doctors to make data-driven decisions for their patients in real time. Learn how.

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The coronavirus pandemic presents unprecedented challenges to cancer patients. We can help you understand how COVID-19 might impact your treatment and other aspects of your cancer care.