bims-ovdlit 2025-06-22 papers

Issue of 2025–06–22
three papers selected by
Lara Paracchini, Humanitas Research

Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2025 Jun 13.

Promises and pitfalls of multi-cancer early detection using liquid biopsy tests.

Jonathan C M Wan, Peter Sasieni, Nitzan Rosenfeld.

Cancer screening is an essential public health intervention for diagnosing cancers at an early stage that can enable earlier treatment - ideally with curative intent - and thus lead to improved outcomes. Over the past decade, liquid biopsy-based tests have emerged as a promising, minimally invasive and broadly applicable screening approach by combining multi-cancer early detection (MCED) with tumour tissue-of-origin identification. Large-scale randomized clinical trials evaluating liquid biopsy-based MCED approaches are now under way, although whether the diagnostic performance of this first generation of MCED tests is sufficient to translate into clinical benefits remains to be determined. In this Review, we discuss the promises and pitfalls of current MCED tests and highlight possible trajectories for the field of early cancer detection.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-025-01033-x

Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2025 Jun 16. pii: S0002-9378(25)00400-4. [Epub ahead of print]

Impact of breast cancer history on decision-making for ovarian cancer risk-reducing surgery in the TUBA-WISP-II study.

TUBA-WISP II consortium

BACKGROUND: Female BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers have an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. In the TUBA-WISP II study, women choose between standard risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy or risk-reducing salpingectomy with delayed oophorectomy to prevent ovarian cancer. At inclusion, a significant proportion of the enrolled women had a history of breast cancer, which could impact decision-making.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe decision-making regarding type and timing of risk-reducing surgery among women with versus without a history of breast cancer.
STUDY DESIGN: Premenopausal BRCA1/2 pathogenic variant carriers completed web-based questionnaires on their personal histories and preferred risk-reducing strategy. Differences in type and timing of first risk-reducing surgery in women with versus without a history of breast cancer were assessed. A multivariable analysis was conducted to examine personal, environmental, and breast cancer related characteristics associated with the choice for risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy among women with a history of breast cancer.
RESULTS: We included 1676 women, of whom 222 (13.2%) had a history of breast cancer. Of those, 77.0% chose RRS/DO, compared to 78.0% in the non- history of breast cancer group (p=0.73). Individuals with breast cancer before their BRCA1/2 diagnosis had their first surgery median 2 years later than women who were diagnosed simultaneously or had their BRCA1/2 diagnosis first. Women diagnosed with breast cancer within the guideline age range for completing risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy (35-40 BRCA1, 40-45 BRCA2) more often chose risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy than women before the guideline age range, odds ratio 6.2 (95%CI 1.9-19.9).
CONCLUSION: A history of breast cancer was not associated with preference for a specific risk-reducing strategy. Women diagnosed with breast cancer in the guideline age range more often chose risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy than women diagnosed before the guideline age range.

Keywords: BRCA1; BRCA2; Breast Cancer; Decision Making; Ovarian Cancer; Prevention

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2025.06.024

Ther Adv Med Oncol. 2025 ;17 17588359251343973

Controversies and clinical unknowns in the use of PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer.

Uma A Mukherjee, Rowan E Miller, Jonathan A Ledermann.

Poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) have significantly improved the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer, however, there are still many aspects of their use that require further understanding. The optimal duration, timing and dosage of these agents and how to manage (oligo) progression occurring both during and following PARPi therapy are discussed. The evidence supporting their rechallenge, and how to overcome resistance are addressed. The long-term impacts of PARPi and monitoring patients during therapy are all important research themes to expand on.

Keywords: DNA repair mechanism mutations; PARP inhibitor; homologous recombination deficiency (HRD); ovarian cancer; translational research; tumour biology

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/17588359251343973