LYNPARZA™▼ (olaparib)

LynparzaTM (olaparib) is a first‐in‐class PARP inhibitor (PARPi) that allows women with BRCA mutated (BRCAm) platinum‐sensitive relapsed high-grade serous ovarian cancer to extend progression‐free survival (PFS).1-3

About BRCA Testing

Are you currently testing for BRCAm status?

Any woman with ovarian cancer could have a BRCA mutation21, 22

Approximately 20% of ovarian cancer patients have a BRCA mutation
Approximately 20% of ovarian cancer patients have a BRCA mutation
  • Approximately 20% of high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients have a BRCA mutation.36
  • The likelihood of having a BRCA mutation is not limited to younger patients or those with a family history.19, 21, 22
  • BRCA mutations do not only affect women who present with ovarian cancer at an earlier age, in fact over 70% of women are over 50 years old at diagnosis.19
  • Restricting genetic testing by age or those with a family history may mean that many women with BRCA mutations are missed.27, 37
Approximately 40% of patients with BRCAm ovarian cancer may have no relevant family history
Approximately 40% of patients with BRCAm ovarian cancer may have no relevant family history

Testing Guidelines

Genetic testing should be offered to a woman with ovarian cancer if her combined BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carrier probability is 10% or more.

– NHS England Commissioning policy E01/P/b, July 201516

NHS England states that genetic testing should be offered to all women with ovarian cancer with a combined BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carrier probability of 10% or more.16 As approximately 20% of women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer carry a BRCA gene mutation,36 this means that all women with high-grade serous ovarian cancer should be tested for BRCAm. This also aligns with NICE guidance (all women with ≥10% risk of carrying BRCAm)15, and that provided by BGCS (all women with high-grade serous or Grade 3 endometrioid cancer).17

BRCAm Status

BRCAm status is critical for the identification of patients with ovarian cancer suitable for Lynparza.4

  • Limited information on the incidence of BRCAm in the platinum-sensitive relapsed setting is available. Combined data from two individual studies suggest that about: 30-40% patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed ovarian cancer are considered to possibly have BRCAm disease.3, 22
  • Knowing every woman’s BRCAm status at diagnosis of ovarian cancer allows for timely personalised treatment decisions that can improve outcomes.14, 38
  • Patients with BRCAm ovarian cancer are likely to have increased sensitivity to platinum-based therapy compared to BRCA wild-type patients.3
Approximately 40% of patients with BRCAm ovarian cancer may have no relevant family history
Approximately 40% of patients with BRCAm ovarian cancer may have no relevant family history
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