Biography
Biography: Benedict B Benigno
Abstract
Ovarian cancer always presents in advanced stages, requires extensive surgery and chemotherapy, and is accompanied by an unacceptably high recurrence rate. Carboplatinum and Taxol have been the drugs of choice in first-line therapy for over 30 years and, unfortunately, the survival rate has enjoyed slight improvement during this time period. I will discuss this disease within its historic perspective and elucidate the evolution of modern surgical techniques and various chemotherapy regimens. I will go into considerable detail regarding both clinical and basic research which have led to newer, and hopefully better, treatment modalities. I will use case studies from my extensive experience in treating patients with ovarian cancer, to explore ways in which the patient-physician relationship itself might become an instrument of healing. I will conclude by describing and exciting and recently available class of drugs – the PARP inhibitors.