Disparity in the era of personalized medicine for epithelial ovarian cancer

Abstract

The treatment of high-grade serous ovarian cancer and high-grade endometrioid ovarian cancer has seen significant improvements in recent years, with BRCA1/2 and homologous recombination status guiding a personalized approach which has resulted in improved patient outcomes. However, for other epithelial ovarian cancer subtypes, first-line treatment remains unchanged from the platinum–paclitaxel trials of the early 2000s. In this review, we explore novel therapeutic approaches being adopted in the treatment of clear cell, mucinous, carcinosarcoma and low-grade serous ovarian cancer and the biological rational behind them. We discuss why such disparities exist, the challenges faced in conducting dedicated trials in these rarer histologies and look towards new approaches being adopted to overcome them.