Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in China - Practice and challenges

Q: Which targeted therapy categories are discussed for PROC?

The document highlights antiangiogenic agents, PARP inhibitors (PARPi), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), immunotherapies, and signaling pathway inhibitors, including combinations with chemotherapy and PARPi.

Sep 29, 2026

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Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) represents a major cause of death, driven by frequent recurrence and platinum resistance after initial treatment. China carries a substantial OC burden, with rising incidence and high urban–rural disparities in outcomes. Current care is limited by insufficient early detection, low response to non-platinum chemotherapy, and short progression-free survival, with rural patients often receiving less optimal regimens. The article reviews chemotherapy/surgery and emerging targeted strategies, highlighting the need for region-specific prevention and control.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Editorial overview

Epidemiology and clinical impact in China

Treatment challenges and current standard

Chemotherapy and surgery

Targeted therapies

Conclusion and need for region-specific measures

Editorial Platinum-resistant ovarian cancer in China: Practice and challenges Jie Lin1, Anyang Li1, Linying Liu1, Libin Zhang2, Evangeline Li3, Yang Sun1 1Department of Gynecology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350011, China; 2Medical Record Room, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian 350011, China; 3Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. Ovarian cancer (OC) is a lethal threat to females.According to the 2022 Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), new cases of OC were estimated to reach 324,398, with mortality figures at 206,839 . China, with one-fifth of the world population, is bearing a heavy OC health burden, accounting for 18.82% of all OC new cases and 15.8% of OC-related deaths worldwide. [1] The OC incidence and mortality in China increased by 6.3% and 20% in the time intervals from 2016 to 2022, with a significant disparity between urban and rural areas in China[2][Supplementary Figure 1A, [http://links.lww.com/CM9/C570](http://links.lww.com/CM9/C570)]. The new cases and deaths will reach 70,822 and 46,845 by 2050, respectively [Supplementary Figure 1B, [http://links.lww](http://links.lww). com/CM9/C570]. Moreover, females are more susceptible to OC at ages above 50 years [Supplementary Figures 1Cand D, [http://links.lww.com/CM9/C570](http://links.lww.com/CM9/C570)]. Notably, nearly 50–70% of OC patients suffer from disease recurrence and will ultimately develop platinum resistance, causing over 90% of deaths with a median survival of less than 12 months. Currently, early detection and screening strategies in China are insufficient. Many OC patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, leading to a poor prognosis. [3] For many years, the treatment of the newly diagnosed OC centered on cytoreductive surgery followed by platinum-based chemotherapy. However, chemoresistance is very common. Over the past six years, our research team has been extensively engaged in the mechanism underlying OC and platinum resistance. Recent investigations from our laboratory have demonstrated that certain forms of cell death, such as autophagy[4] and PANoptosis,[5] could regulate platinum resistance in OC. Besides cell death, the currently recognized consensus believes chemoresistance is a complicated network that involves various mechanisms, including alteration of drug influx and efflux pathways, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair, epigenetic alterations, tumor microenvironment, and abnormal signaling | Access this article online | | | --- | --- | | Quick Response Code: | Website:
[www.cmj.org](www.cmj.org) | | | DOI:
10.1097/CM9.0000000000003763 | pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) [Figure 1]. Therefore, understanding the current platinum-resistant ovarian cancer (PROC) treatment strategies in China [Supplementary Figure 2, [http://links](http://links). [lww.com/CM9/C570](lww.com/CM9/C570)] could help develop region-specific prevention and control measures. Chemotherapy and surgery. The mainstay of treatment for PROC has been the sequential use of cytotoxic agents (non-platinum chemotherapy), with response rates of less than 12%, progression-free survival (PFS) of less than 4 months, and overall survival (OS) of 8–14 months. Although combined therapy could improve survival outcomes, monochemotherapy is still a “popular”option for PROC patients in rural areas of China. The Chinese medical insurance system is structured based on classifying individuals into urban or rural categories. High-quality medical resources are predominantly concentrated in major urban centers and hospitals, rendering them inaccessible and unaffordable for rural patients. Consequently, elevated mortality rates related to OC were observed among rural populations. Besides, secondary cytoreductive s

FAQs

Why is platinum resistance a critical problem in ovarian cancer in China?

Because 50–70% of patients experience recurrence that ultimately develops platinum resistance, leading to more than 90% of deaths and a median survival under 12 months.

What are the main limitations of current PROC treatment outcomes?

Non-platinum cytotoxic chemotherapy shows low response rates (<12%) and short progression-free survival (<4 months), and monochemotherapy remains common in rural areas due to limited access to high-quality resources.

Which targeted therapy categories are discussed for PROC?

The document highlights antiangiogenic agents, PARP inhibitors (PARPi), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), immunotherapies, and signaling pathway inhibitors, including combinations with chemotherapy and PARPi.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by A glass of water