Immunotherapy in Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Successes and Frustrations
- 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, USA
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is most commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage and is known to recur frequently. Recurrent EOC can be difficult to treat, with limited effective options for systemic therapy. Platinum-resistant and -refractory recurrences are particularly difficult to treat, with even fewer therapeutic options than for platinum-sensitive recurrences. Less common histologic subtypes are also challenging, often with poor responses to typical systemic therapies and limited clinical trial data. With successes in the use of immunotherapy (IO) in other types of solid tumors, IO has been investigated extensively in EOC. However, the incorporation of IO in the treatment of EOC has yielded variable results; of the many clinical trials studying IO in ovarian cancer, there are very few positive results. This article discusses the role of the immune system in cancer proliferation and IO mechanisms of action, reviews clinical trials involving the use of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in EOC, and considers the role of biomarkers in the use of IO. We also discuss the possible reasons for why most EOCs do not seem to respond as well as other solid tumors do to IO, as well as discuss the EOCs that have shown more promising responses, namely platinum-resistant disease and clear cell histology. The overarching aim of this review is to comprehensively digest the large volume of existing research pertaining to the use of IO in the treatment of ovarian cancer and examine the pitfalls and possibilities for future success in the use of IO in EOC.
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BibTeX
@article{marshall2026immunotherapy,
title = {{Immunotherapy in Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Successes and Frustrations}},
author = {Lila A. Marshall and Natalie L. Ayoub and Jill Tseng and Alex A. Francoeur},
journal = {Oncology Research},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.32604/or.2026.080161},
url = {https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2026.080161},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Immunotherapy in Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer: Successes and Frustrations
AU - Lila A. Marshall
AU - Natalie L. Ayoub
AU - Jill Tseng
AU - Alex A. Francoeur
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/28
JO - Oncology Research
DO - 10.32604/or.2026.080161
UR - https://doi.org/10.32604/or.2026.080161
AB - Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is most commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage and is known to recur frequently. Recurrent EOC can be difficult to treat, with limited effective options for systemic therapy. Platinum-resistant and -refractory recurrences are particularly difficult to treat, with even fewer therapeutic options than for platinum-sensitive recurrences. Less common histologic subtypes are also challenging, often with poor responses to typical systemic therapies and limited clinical trial data. With successes in the use of immunotherapy (IO) in other types of solid tumors, IO has been investigated extensively in EOC. However, the incorporation of IO in the treatment of EOC has yielded variable results; of the many clinical trials studying IO in ovarian cancer, there are very few positive results. This article discusses the role of the immune system in cancer proliferation and IO mechanisms of action, reviews clinical trials involving the use of immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI) in EOC, and considers the role of biomarkers in the use of IO. We also discuss the possible reasons for why most EOCs do not seem to respond as well as other solid tumors do to IO, as well as discuss the EOCs that have shown more promising responses, namely platinum-resistant disease and clear cell histology. The overarching aim of this review is to comprehensively digest the large volume of existing research pertaining to the use of IO in the treatment of ovarian cancer and examine the pitfalls and possibilities for future success in the use of IO in EOC.
SN - 0965-0407
SN - 1555-3906
ER -