The landscape of ovarian cancer treatment is shifting. The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting 2026 on Women’s Cancer, held April 10–13 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, delivered what researchers are calling transformative data across targeted therapies and resistant disease. Here are the top breakthroughs presented at this event.
- “Game changer” treatment combination for women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer
A phase III study found that adding relacorilant (Lifyorli) to chemotherapy helped women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer live longer than chemotherapy alone. Platinum-resistant disease is defined as cancer that returns within six months of completing platinum-based chemotherapy. Historically, this has been an extremely difficult space to treat,
Patients who received the combination of relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel lived a median of 16 months, compared with about 12 months for those who received nab-paclitaxel alone. The treatment also lowered the risk of the cancer worsening or causing death by 35%, and benefits were seen across many different patient groups. Side effects including low blood counts, fatigue, and nausea were common, but serious complications were manageable and no new major safety concerns were reported. Overall, these results suggest that adding this combination may offer an important new treatment option for women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.
- Can chemotherapy be avoided in some ovarian cancers?
A new study suggests that some women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer may be able to take letrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) alone after surgery instead of going through chemotherapy, especially if all visible cancer was successfully removed. In the trial, women who had no cancer left after surgery did just as well on letrozole alone as those who received chemotherapy plus letrozole, with similar rates of the cancer staying under control.
This is important because adding chemotherapy can add more side effects. However, for women who still had some cancer remaining after surgery, letrozole alone was linked to a higher chance of recurrence. Overall, the results suggest that for carefully selected patients, letrozole alone may one day offer a less toxic alternative to chemotherapy, but more research is needed before this becomes standard treatment.
- Targeted breakthrough: Mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) real-world data and results
A real-world study of mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) showed that women with recurrent ovarian cancer lived about as long as patients in the original clinical trial, suggesting the treatment works similarly in everyday practice. On average, patients lived about 16 months after starting treatment, and the cancer was kept under control for about 5 months. However, patients who were already in poorer overall health before starting treatment had shorter survival, emphasizing the importance of a patient’s physical condition when considering this therapy. Side effects were common, especially eye, nerve, blood-related, and stomach issues, so patients need close monitoring and support while on treatment.
Overall, the findings suggest that mirvetuximab soravtansine can be an effective option for recurrent ovarian cancer, but doctors should carefully weigh the benefits and side effects based on each patient’s health status.
- Promising targeted drug that may work across cancers
An early clinical trial found that the antibody-drug conjugate, mocertatug rezetecan, showed promising results in women with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and advanced endometrial cancer. In patients with ovarian cancer, the highest dose shrank tumors in about 62% of patients, and responses happened quickly. While side effects were common, especially at higher doses, only a small number of patients had to stop treatment because of them. Overall, these early results suggest that mocertatug rezetecan could become a promising new treatment option, but larger studies are still needed to confirm how well it works and how safe it is.
Key takeaways
Ovarian cancer care is becoming more personalized, highlighting the importance of genetic and genomic testing to help your care team curate a treatment plan that’s targeted to you. Don’t be afraid to ask your care team if you’re a right fit for any emerging therapies.
Hear from an ovarian cancer expert and listen to our full webinar discussion with gynecologic oncologist Dr. Beth Karlan.
