Groundbreaking ovarian cancer trial takes off in Saskatchewan

A clinical trial for ovarian cancer has launched in Saskatchewan, aiming to improve the quality of life for patients and provide more information when it comes to choosing a treatment path.

The study was made possible through the donation of a next generation sequencer valued at $500,000 by the Kramer family, founders of Kramer Tractor.

According to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan, the sequencer is the first in Saskatchewan to be used directly in patient care, and the first in Canada to perform tumour testing, helping with clinical decisions in gynecologic cancer cases.

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The trial, which will accept 100 patients, is currently taking place at the Saskatoon Cancer Centre and Regina’s Allan Blair Cancer Centre.

Patients with advanced ovarian cancer will receive tumour testing that determines what advantages they could have from taking a new class of drugs called PARP inhibitors. From there, patients can decide whether or not to proceed with that treatment.

“We will be able to change the standard of care in ovarian cancer,” said Dr. Laura Hopkins, the provincial lead for gynecologic oncology with the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency.

PARP inhibitors can be costly, and can come with serious or possibly life-threatening side effects. The effectiveness of the drugs depends on the tumour’s genetic changes and how patients respond.

“With tumour testing, we can be very specific about how much benefit there is,” Hopkins said.

So far, 10 people have taken part in the trial. One of those patients is Shelley Meier, from Tisdale, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in July.

When Hopkins asked her to join, Meier said participating in the trial was a “no brainer.”

“For me, it means that there’s hope,” Meier said, adding she hopes the trial can also help other women decide what treatment fits best for them.