Drug Could Extend Survival for Uterine Cancer Patients

An already approved cancer drug could be an effective treatment for women with advanced, recurring uterine cancer, a new clinical trial shows.

Rucaparib, which belongs to a class of drugs called PARP inhibitors, extended women’s survival for more than a year and a half, on average, compared to simple surveillance following chemotherapy, researchers report.

Rucaparib, a PARP inhibitor, has shown effectiveness in treating advanced, recurring uterine cancer. It extended women's survival by over a year and a half compared to surveillance after chemotherapy.

Patients on rucaparib had a progression-free survival of 28 months, compared to 9 months for those on placebo. This improvement is significant for patients' care and outcomes.

PARP inhibitors work by blocking enzymes that aid in DNA repair, including those that help cancer cells recover from chemotherapy damage.

Rucaparib is already approved for treating breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer.

Uterine cancer affects over 60,000 women in the US annually, with increasing cases. While early-stage survival is high, it decreases significantly in advanced cases. After chemotherapy, current options are limited to surveillance, as most advanced-stage cases recur.

Further analysis will focus on identifying patients who benefit most from rucaparib treatment. The research was presented at a conference and is considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Women with advanced and recurring uterine cancer should ask their doctor if rucaparib might be a potential treatment for them.

Source: University of Colorado, news release, March 20, 2024

For more information on cancer, check out these additional resources:

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