New 'Parp inhibitors' could prevent certain tumours appearing
Breakthrough research could see some genetic cancers neutralised before they take hold and is already being used for people at risk
Robin McKie
Sun 14 Aug 2022 03.30 EDT
Sue Hayward was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2017. Doctors acted swiftly and she was given a hysterectomy followed by sessions of chemotherapy.
But her cancer returned within a year. “I carry a mutated version of a gene known as BRCA1 which makes me susceptible to breast and ovarian cancers,” said Hayward, who works at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. “It runs in families. My mother died of cancer and we assume her mother did as well.”
This time doctors turned to a new weapon in their anti-tumour armoury. After decades of research – much of it carried out in the UK – scientists have developed a range of drugs known as Parp inhibitors. “I was given more chemotherapy and then put on a daily regimen of a brand of Parp inhibitor pills known as olaparib. I have been clear of cancer ever since,” Hayward told the Observer last week.
Nor is her story unique. Across the UK, increasing use of Parp inhibitors has raised hopes that many individuals susceptible to certain familial cancers can be treated simply and effectively in coming years. Indeed, it may be possible one day to use Parp inhibitors not just to treat patients after cancers appear but to prevent them from developing at all.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/aug/14/new-parp-inhibitors-could-prevent-certain-tumours-appearing
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