When is PARP inhibitor therapy recommended for ovarian cancer?

PARP inhibitors block proteins that cancer cells may use to repair damaged DNA. The treatment is often discussed as maintenance therapy after chemotherapy has controlled the disease, with the aim of delaying further growth. Eligibility depends on the ovarian cancer subtype, prior treatments, response to platinum therapy, current health, and results from germline testing or testing of the tumour. A result can also affect relatives, so the team may offer genetic counselling before or alongside testing.

Ask whether both inherited and tumour testing have been completed and what the results mean for treatment. Share your full treatment history, blood-count problems, kidney or liver conditions, and medicines. PARP inhibitors are taken on a schedule set by the oncology team, with regular checks for blood-count changes and other side effects. Report new breathlessness, unusual bruising, fever, or marked weakness promptly.

Contact the oncology service urgently for fever, chills, signs of infection, unexpected bleeding, severe breathlessness, chest pain, or sudden profound weakness. These symptoms may need immediate assessment during treatment. Do not stop or change the medicine without speaking with the prescribing team unless emergency clinicians instruct you to do so.

Ask which test result supports the recommendation, whether treatment is maintenance or treatment for active disease, how long it may continue, and how response will be monitored. Ask about blood tests, common side effects, drug interactions, pregnancy considerations, and whether genetic counselling is appropriate for your family.