Maintenance Therapy for Ovarian Cancer
Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last reviewed: April 2025 | Last updated: April 2025
Maintenance therapy may be recommended for some people with ovarian cancer. This type of therapy is given to help prevent or delay a recurrence. A recurrence is when the cancer returns after a period of time following previous treatment. Experts estimate that 7 out of 10 people diagnosed with ovarian cancer will have a recurrence.1,2
The stage at diagnosis has a large impact on the likelihood of the cancer returning. About 25 percent of people experience a recurrence if they were diagnosed at an early stage. And around 80 percent of people experience a recurrence if they were diagnosed with late-stage ovarian cancer.3
Ovarian cancer that recurs is treatable, but it can rarely be cured. This means that preventing the cancer from returning is ideal.3
When is maintenance therapy needed?
Maintenance therapy is standard treatment for some types of cancer. Your doctor may recommend maintenance therapy even if your cancer disappeared after your initial treatment.1,4
Maintenance therapy also may be used in people whose cancer shrank but did not go away completely after treatment.1,4
Examples of maintenance therapy drugs
Several factors will determine which maintenance therapy drug your doctor recommends. This includes:1,4
- Results of your tumor or genetic testing
- How well your cancer responded to your initial treatment
- Your type of initial treatment
As of 2025, there are 2 types of drugs that are used for maintenance therapy for certain forms of ovarian cancer. These are angiogenesis inhibitors and PARP inhibitors.1,4
Angiogenesis inhibitors
Angiogenesis inhibitors are generally used as maintenance therapy for people who received this drug in combination with chemotherapy for certain forms of advanced or recurrent ovarian cancer, then receive the angiogenesis inhibitor alone.1
Examples of angiogenesis inhibitors include:5
- Avastin® (bevacizumab)
- Mvasi™ (bevacizumab-awwb)
- Zirabev™ (bevacizumab-bvzr)
- Vegzelma® (bevacizumab-adcd)
- Alymsys® (bevacizumab-maly)
Mvasi, Zirabev, Vegzelma, and Alymsys are biosimilars of Avastin. Biosimilars are drugs that are similar in structure to known biologic drugs (drugs made in a living system like yeast or bacteria), and have no clinically meaningful differences from the approved reference drug.5
PARP inhibitors
PARP inhibitors are generally used for maintenance therapy in people whose cancer disappeared or shrank following their most recent treatment with chemotherapy.4
These PARP inhibitors are used for maintenance therapy in certain forms of ovarian cancer:4
- Lynparza® (olaparib)
- Rubraca® (rucaparib)
- Zejula® (niraparib)
The specific PARP inhibitor used for ovarian cancer maintenance therapy depends on several factors. This includes previous treatments and whether you have certain genetic or tumor mutations.4
How long does maintenance therapy last?
The length of your therapy can vary depending on the drug you are taking and if your disease has recurred. Generally, maintenance therapy treatments are usually given for 1 to 3 years after initial treatment.6
Talk with your doctor about what your maintenance therapy plan looks like and what it will mean for you. If your cancer returns or worsens while on maintenance therapy, your doctor will talk to you about your treatment options.
What are the possible side effects?
Side effects can vary depending on the specific drug you are taking. Common side effects of certain angiogenesis inhibitors include:7-11
- Nose bleeds
- High blood pressure
- Headache
- High levels of protein in the urine
- Dry skin
- Changes in how things taste
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Low blood counts
- Extreme tiredness (fatigue)
Common side effects of certain PARP inhibitors include:12-14
- Anemia
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain
These are not all the possible side effects of maintenance therapy drugs. Talk to your doctor about what to expect when taking maintenance therapy drugs. You also should call your doctor if you have any changes that concern you when taking maintenance therapy drugs.
Other things to know
Maintenance therapy may not be right for everyone. Talk to your doctor about what treatment options are best for you and the possible side effects, risks, and benefits of these drugs.
Maintenance therapy drugs for ovarian cancer can harm an unborn baby. In general, if you can become pregnant, use birth control during treatment and for some time after the last dose of your treatment. Do not breastfeed during treatment with maintenance therapy drugs and for some time after the last dose. Talk to your doctor about your options for birth control and breastfeeding as they relate to the specific medication you are prescribed.7-14
Before beginning treatment for advanced ovarian cancer, tell your doctor about all your health conditions and any other drugs, vitamins, or supplements you take. This includes over-the-counter drugs.