Future directions in the management of ovarian cancer.
As investigators at the bench define the oncogenic pathways involved in ovarian cancer growth and invasion, clinical scientists will develop therapies to target these important pathways. The approach to the treatment of ovarian cancer will change to focus on strategies designed to eliminate minimal residual disease after primary therapy and in this way cure the disease. Concepts of consolidation after standard adjuvant chemotherapy and maintenance regimens will start to be evaluated for clinical efficacy. In addition, the focus on recurrent disease may change from repeated cytotoxic approaches to regimens chosen to prevent invasion or the development of drug resistance, changing the approach to ovarian cancer recurrence to a treatment plan of managing a chronic, but not imminently terminal, disease.
Disis
Mary L
ML
Department of Oncology, University of Washington, Box 356527, Seattle, WA 98195-6527, USA. ndisis@u.washington.edu
Rivkin
Saul
S
D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*