Skin cancer drug could be key to treating ovarian tumours

WOMEN with a rare type of ovarian cancer could benefit from a skin cancer drug, according to scientists.

Low-grade serous ovarian cancer affects younger women and can be chemotherapy resistant. Until now, it has been particularly difficult to treat.

But experts say a randomised trametinib trial – previously used to treat melanoma – paves the way for better outcomes.

The study also found the treatment can double the time the disease takes to relapse, by which point it is typically incurable.

The trial involved 260 patients and was led by Edinburgh University’s Nicola Murray Centre for Ovarian Cancer Research and the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.

Nicola Murray Centre director Charlie Gourley said: ‘Low-grade serous ovarian cancer is different from other ovarian cancers because it affects younger women and is often resistant to chemotherapy.

‘This is the first positive, randomised trial in this disease and represents a major breakthrough for patients with this type of ovarian cancer.’