Niraparib Maintenance for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer: Quality-of-Life Results
Posted: Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Niraparib maintenance therapy seems to have no significant negative effect on quality of life among women with recurrent ovarian cancer, according to the phase III ENGOT-OV16/NOVA trial reported in The Lancet Oncology. In a previous report, patients treated with niraparib in this study experienced significantly longer progression-free survival, regardless of germline BRCA status.
“It is important that toxic effects associated with maintenance treatment do not result in a substantial reduction in [quality of life] that offsets the benefit associated with delaying the time to progression or death,” concluded Amit M. Oza, MD, MBBS, FRCPC, of the University Health Network, Toronto, and colleagues.
Between August 2013 and June 2015, 553 patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive niraparib or placebo. Patient-reported outcomes were analyzed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Ovarian Symptoms Index (FOSI) and European Quality of Life five-dimension five-level questionnaire. (EQ-5D-5L).
Scores on the quality-of-life index remained stable during treatment and preprogression period in the niraparib group. The investigators did not observe significant differences in patient-reported outcomes between the niraparib and placebo groups.
The most common adverse events reported at baseline screening for all patients were lack of energy and nausea. Throughout treatment, reported symptoms either remained stable or improved among the niraparib group. The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities in this group were thrombocytopenia, anemia, and neutropenia. Quality of life appeared to be unaffected by these toxicities. “These findings support the addition of niraparib as a component of standard of care,” the investigators concluded.
