Research in Cancer

Last year the Food and Drug Administration approved palbociclib to slow the progression of hormone receptor positive metastatic breast cancer when used with standard hormone therapy.

And there is considerable excitement around the recent FDA approvals of drugs called PARP inhibitors, olaparib and rucaparib, for treating ovarian cancer. These treatments are effective in cancers with mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes and oncologists can test a patient’s tumor to determine if these new therapies will work for a patien.nother challenge is clinical trial enrollment. Currently, fewer than five percent of all adult patients with cancer participate in a clinical trial, a rate that has remained stubbornly stable over an extended period of time.At ASCO, we’re looking at reinventing how clinical trials are designed so that more patients with cancer can participate, while also ensuring that every oncologist talks with their patients about clinical trial options.A great starting point for learning more is ASCO’s patient information website, . All of the information has been reviewed by oncologists, and the site provides a host of resources, including how to find an oncologist, what to expect with treatment, how to find financial support, and caregiving plans that can help ease the overwhelming burden of caring for a loved one.