What the trial was testing
The trial enrolled 267 patients with ovarian cancer. The study was sponsored by Epizyme, Inc. and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was initial testing (phase 2). Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
15% of patients with advanced epithelioid sarcoma had their tumors shrink with tazemetostat.
The Lancet. Oncology · 2020 · NCT02601950
These findings — that had their tumors shrink with tazemetostat treatment — were published in the The Lancet. Oncology and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 267 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with ovarian cancer, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Tazemetostat received FDA approval in January 2020 for advanced epithelioid sarcoma with loss of INI1 protein. This approval was based on this study. If you have this type of cancer, talk with your doctor about whether tazemetostat might be right for you, especially if other treatments haven't worked.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open ovarian cancer trials
Access to Genetic Testing in Underserved Patients With Cancer
This study compares the experiences of people who receive information about genetic testing from a computer-generated character to patients who receive information from a human genetics healthcare provider. Patients with cancer are increasingly recommended for genetic testing as standard of care. Multiple factors contribute to low usage of genetic testing but for many patients the lack of access to genetic counseling and testing is an important and flexible factor. Lack of access is especially relevant to racial/ethnic minority patients and those living in non-metropolitan rural settings who are frequently cared for at safety-net hospitals with limited genetics services. Alternative delivery models are necessary to improve rates of access to genetic testing in patients with cancer. Health information technology is under used by genetics providers. A patient-facing relational agent (PERLA) will provide pre-test genetics education in both English and Spanish across two clinical settings to facilitate more timely access to genetic testing. Using the PERLA intervention may help researchers learn different ways to provide education about genetic testing to patients with cancer compared to usual care.
Prospective RegIstration Of the peRformance of the IoTa ADNEX Model in Dutch gYnaecological Practice
Multicenter prospective cohort study in which patients ≥18 years with an ovarian tumor for which an ultrasound has been performed in accordance with IOTA criteria and the IOTA ADNEX model has been applied are included. Ultrasound data from these patients will be prospectively recorded in a database to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the IOTA ADNEX model in Dutch gynaecological practice.