Beyond chemotherapy: targeted therapies in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynaecological malignancies in the Western world. Despite the evolution of surgical techniques and meticulously designed chemotherapy regimens, relapse remains almost inevitable in patients with advanced disease. In an age when great advances have been made in understanding the genetics and molecular biology of this heterogeneous disease, it is likely that the introduction of novel targeted therapies will have a major impact on the management of ovarian cancer. Importantly, such strategies might allow selection of treatments based on the molecular characteristics of tumours and bring us closer to an era of personalized medicine.