Abiraterone Lacks Activity in Recurrent High Grade Serous Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Abiraterone was associated with a low response rate among patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), but 1 patient with androgen receptor (AR)-positive low grade serous EOC achieved sustained clinical benefit, according to a study presented at the 2016 European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2016 Congress¹

The androgen receptor is frequently expressed in EOC; researchers evaluated the clinical activity of abiraterone, an androgen synthesis inhibitor widely used in prostate cancer, among patients with EOC.

For the multicenter, open-label, phase 2 CORAL study (Cancer of the Ovary Abiraterone trial; EudraCT Number: 2013-000293-29), researchers enrolled 42 patients with EOC who had disease progression within 12 months of last systemic therapy and no prior treatment with hormonal anti-cancer agents. Of those, 83% had high grade serous EOC, 47% had received 3 or more prior lines of therapy, and 69% were AR-positive.

The overall response rate was 2% with abiraterone and prednisone daily. The 1 patient who achieved a response had AR-positive low grade serous EOC and the response lasted 47 weeks.

The clinical benefit rate, which included overall responses and stable disease, was 26% at 12 weeks and 28% among AR-positive patients.

Of those, 14% had disease control for 6 months or longer and 1 patient continues to receive abiraterone.

Further investigation is warranted to assess the activity of abiraterone among patients with low grade serous EOC.                                        

Reference

1. Banerjee S, Kilburn L, Bowen R, et al. Principal results of the cancer of the ovary abiraterone trial (CORAL): A phase II study of abiraterone in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (CRUKE/12/052). Paper presented at: European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2016 Congress; October 7-11, 2016; Copenhagen, Denmark.