open access: Advanced ovarian cancer: what should be the standard of care?

Advanced ovarian cancer: what should be the standard of care?

"....Substantial progress is being made in the diagnosis and treatment of ovarian, tubal, and peritoneal cancers. We are beginning to understand the molecular heterogeneity of these tumors and how we can use this information to produce less toxic and more targeted therapies. Historical treatment paradigms in ovarian cancer are being challenged and are evolving. In 2013, surgery does remain the cornerstone of diagnosis and treatment, but ongoing studies will better define when to use neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We also expect clinical trials to guide optimal use of intraperitoneal, dose dense, antiangiogenic therapies and targeted maintenance therapies in both the up front and recurrent disease setting. Finally, there are a large number of clinical trials being conducted by cooperative groups and single institutions that are targeting the underlying molecular biology of ovarian cancer. It is likely in the near future that histology will be less important than knowing the molecular alterations in various pathways, which in turn will predict response to certain types of drugs. The promise of personalized medicine is rapidly becoming a reality for the treatment of ovarian cancer and will need to be a factor in future clinical trials."

see also:
Table 1
Response rates of chemotherapy in platinum resistant ovarian cancer