Find Effective Drugs before Starting the Therapy!

No two cancer therapies are the same!

There is a wide range of different drugs which can be applied in treatment of ovarian cancer. This treatment includes classical chemotherapeutic substances, yet also anti-hormonal drugs and new targeted drugs are used. Which medication should be prescribed depends on different factors, e.g. the cancer stage and the general condition of the patient. In order to choose the right therapy there are medical guidelines for physicians. However, in some situations the guidelines do not give clear recommendations and propose equivalent treatment options.


Diagnostic assays can help to identify effective and ineffective drugs before the start of a therapy. The available spectrum of therapeutics can thereby be limited on the most promising substances. Our diagnostics contribute avoidance of unnecessary side effects as a consequence of an ineffective therapy and save valuable treatment time. Therefore we offer the following diagnostic tests:



  • CTR-Test® - An efficacy test working on living tumor cells

  • PCDx™ - A tumor-biomarker-analysis working on non-living, conserved tumor cells

  • Guardant360® - A tumor-biomarker-analysis working with blood


Guidelines for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer

Hereafter you can find an overview about guideline-recommendations, which are elaborated by medical specialist associations:




Drug therapy regimes differ for primary and recurrent ovarian cancer. While there are different options for primary treatment depending on the stage of cancer, platinum-based chemotherapy is generally recommended. If a patient suffers a relapse, the choice for an appropriate treatment is based on the time span between discontinuation of chemotherapy and the occurrence of the relapse. Tumors relapsing within 6 months are called platinum-resistant, those relapsing after 6 months are referred to as platinium-sensitive.

first-line therapyearly ovarian cancerchemotherapy containing cisplatin (therapy should contain carboplatin)
advanced ovarian cancercarboplatin + paclitaxel (+ bevacizumab)
recurrenceplatinum-sensitive tumorcarboplatin + gemcitabine + bevacizumab
carboplatin + doxorubicin (liposomal)
carboplatin + paclitaxel
carboplatin + gemcitabine
platinum-resistant tumordoxorubicin (liposomal)
topotecan
gemcitabine
paclitaxel

This table is based on the "S3-Leitlinie Diagnostik, Therapie und Nachsorge maligner Ovarialtumoren", issued by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Wissenschaftlichen Medizinischen Fachgesellschaften e.V., AWMF), the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft, DKG) and the Germany Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe, DGGG). [1]


Efficacy Tests of Drugs for Ovarian Cancer


Which drugs can be tested in their efficacy by our diagnostic tests? The following tables give you information on the substances recommended by the guidelines, but also about further drugs which can be found as additional treatment options in literature. These substances are classified in the following categories:

In addition the frequently used combination therapies are listed below.

The testabilities for the CTR-Test®  and the PCDx™ are also given.

Chemotherapeutics

substance name

efficacy testable by

CTR-Test Logo

efficacy testable by

PCDx Logo

efficacy testable by

Guardant360 Logo

Referenz
altretamineno validation yetno biomarkers yetnot yet[3]
bleomycinyesno biomarkers yetnot yet[2]
capecitabineyesyesnot yet[3]
carboplatinyesyesyes[1], [2]
cisplatinyesyesyes[2]
cyclophosphamideyesno biomarkers yetnot yet[2]
docetaxelyesyesnot yet[3]
doxorubicinyesyesnot yet[3]
doxorubicin (liposomal)yesyesnot yet[1], [2]
etoposideyesno biomarkers yetnot yet[2]
gemcitabineyesyesnot yet[1], [2]
irinotecanyesyesnot yet[3]
melphalanyesno biomarkers yetnot yet[3]
oxaliplatinyesyesyes[3]
paclitaxelyesyesnot yet[1], [2]
pemetrexednoyesnot yet[3]
topotecanyesyesnot yet[1], [2]
trabectedinyesnot yet
not yet[1]
treosulfanyesno biomarkers yetnot yet[1]
vinorelbineyesnot yet
not yet[3]



Targeted Drugs

substance name

efficacy testable by

CTR-Test Logo

efficacy testable by

PCDx Logo

efficacy testable by

Guardant360 Logo

Referenz
bevacizumabnoyesnot yet[1]
olaparibno validation yetyesyes[3]



Anti-Hormonal Drugs

substance name

efficacy testable by

CTR-Test Logo

efficacy testable by

PCDx Logo

efficacy testable by

Guardant360 Logo

Referenz
anastrozolenot possibleyesyes[3]
exemestanenot possibleyesyes[3]
letrozolenot possibleyesyes[3]
leuprorelinnot possiblenot yet
not yet[3]
megestrolno validation yetyesnot yet[3]
tamoxifenyesyesyes[3]



 

Frequently Used Combination Therapies

substance namereference
bleomycin + cisplatin + etoposide phosphate (combination name: PEB)[2]
bevacizumab + carboplatin + gemcitabine[1]
carboplatin + cyclophosphamide[2]
carboplatin + gemcitabine[1], [2]
carboplatin + paclitaxel[1], [2]
carboplatin + doxorubicin (liposomal)[1], [2]

The drugs listed here were identified as potential therapy options after an accurate literature research. Completeness cannot be guaranteed. Status: September 2016.