September Raises Awareness of Ovarian Cancer Treatments

Stay connected to Greek City Times for Free on Google News
Click NOW

September marks international Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, drawing attention to a malignancy that remains a major therapeutic challenge in gynecologic oncology.

The lack of an effective screening method for the general population, the non-specific nature of symptoms in the early stages and the frequent diagnosis of advanced disease make early recognition and public awareness particularly important.

Dr. Maria Kaparellou, medical oncologist, and Thanos Dimopoulos, Professor of Therapeutics, Oncology and Hematology, Director of the Therapeutic Clinic at Alexandra Hospital and former Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), explain that ovarian cancer does not represent a single disease. Instead, it comprises a heterogeneous group of malignancies with different histological and molecular characteristics.

The most common subtype is high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC), which experts now believe originates in a significant proportion of cases from the epithelium of the fimbrial end of the fallopian tubes.

Other histological subtypes, including endometrioid, clear-cell, mucinous and low-grade serous carcinoma, have different biological behaviour and increasingly require differentiated treatment approaches.

Early diagnosis remains a challenge

Ovarian cancer can cause symptoms from the early stages, but these symptoms often lack specificity.

Persistent abdominal pain or pelvic pressure, bloating, an increase in abdominal circumference, early satiety, changes in bowel habits and frequent urination warrant medical investigation when they develop recently and persist.

There is currently no established population-wide screening method for women at average risk.

The CA-125 tumour marker and transvaginal ultrasound play important roles in diagnostic investigation, but they have not proved sufficient for effective screening of the general population.

Hereditary risk and molecular profiling

A significant proportion of ovarian cancer cases involves an inherited predisposition.

Pathogenic mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes represent the best-known genetic abnormalities. Other DNA repair genes, as well as Lynch syndrome, can also increase the risk of developing the disease.

For this reason, genetic counselling and genetic testing play an important role. Identifying an inherited mutation can benefit not only the patient but also relatives who may face an increased risk, allowing them to pursue appropriate prevention strategies.

At the same time, molecular analysis of the tumour itself has become an integral part of modern ovarian cancer treatment.

From chemotherapy to personalised treatment

The management of advanced ovarian cancer relies on a specialised multidisciplinary team.

Cytoreductive surgery and systemic treatment with carboplatin and paclitaxel remain key therapeutic pillars. Achieving complete macroscopic removal of the disease represents an important treatment goal.

When initial surgery does not appear feasible or safe, doctors may first administer neoadjuvant chemotherapy before performing an interval cytoreductive operation.

In selected patients, doctors add bevacizumab to chemotherapy. The anti-angiogenic agent targets VEGF and can continue as maintenance therapy.

One of the most important therapeutic advances in recent years has been the introduction of PARP inhibitors. Testing for BRCA1/2 and homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) helps identify tumours with impaired DNA repair mechanisms and guides the selection of maintenance treatment with PARP inhibitors in appropriate patients.

This approach has significantly changed the course of the disease, substantially extending the time without recurrence in specific molecular subtypes.

In recurrent disease, doctors determine the treatment strategy according to the patient’s previous response to platinum-based therapy, treatments already administered, tumour histology and, increasingly, the tumour’s molecular profile.

Platinum-based combinations continue to play a central role in platinum-sensitive recurrence.

In platinum-resistant disease, folate receptor-alpha (FRα) has gained particular importance. In tumours with high FRα expression, mirvetuximab soravtansine, an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), represents an important targeted treatment option.

Immunotherapy is also beginning to find a role in selected patients. Assessing PD-L1 expression can have therapeutic significance in platinum-resistant recurrent disease, as adding pembrolizumab to chemotherapy in PD-L1-positive tumours has expanded available treatment options.

New treatment options continue to emerge

The therapeutic landscape continues to evolve.

In 2026, the US Food and Drug Administration approved relacorilant, a glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, in combination with nab-paclitaxel for specific patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal cancer following previous treatments that included bevacizumab.

Another molecular target attracting growing interest is HER2 (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2).

HER2 overexpression and/or amplification occurs in specific, less common histological subtypes of gynecological malignancies and can create additional therapeutic opportunities.

Newer HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugates, particularly trastuzumab deruxtecan, have demonstrated significant anticancer activity in HER2-expressing gynecological tumours, including ovarian cancer. These developments further reinforce the importance of comprehensive biomarker assessment in selected patients.

Molecular identity moves to the centre of treatment

These advances are gradually changing how doctors approach ovarian cancer.

Histological diagnosis and disease stage remain fundamental, but doctors now complement them with a range of biomarkers that can provide prognostic information or directly influence treatment decisions.

Testing for BRCA1/2, HRD, FRα and PD-L1, and in selected cases HER2, has become part of a new treatment landscape in which doctors increasingly tailor therapy to the biological characteristics of each patient’s tumour.

The message of September is therefore twofold, according to the scientists.

First, recognising persistent symptoms, understanding family history and seeking timely medical assessment remain crucial.

Second, for women who receive an ovarian cancer diagnosis, scientific progress now offers a growing range of treatment options.

Ovarian cancer remains a serious and complex disease. However, a deeper understanding of its molecular biology and the development of targeted therapies, immunotherapy and next-generation antibody-drug conjugates are driving a transition towards increasingly personalised, biomarker-guided oncology.

The ultimate goal is longer-lasting disease control, improved survival and a better quality of life for patients.

If you want, I can also make this more newspaper-style and punchier, with a stronger opening paragraph and less clinical terminology while retaining all the medical information.

Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on Google News and Apple News.