Targeted therapies for ovarian cancer are treatments that target certain features of cancer cells to help stop or slow their growth.
Some targeted therapies are selected based on biomarker or genetic testing, while others may be recommended based on your ovarian cancer type, previous treatments, or where you are in treatment. They may be used with traditional chemotherapy, as maintenance treatment, or when ovarian cancer returns.
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Last medically reviewed: September, 2026
Many newer ovarian cancer treatments are designed to act on specific features of cancer cells. Biomarker testing can help identify those features and determine which treatments may be appropriate.
A biomarker can be a gene change, protein, or another characteristic that provides information about a cancer. Biomarker testing may help your health care team better understand your cancer and identify treatments that are more likely to work.
Biomarker testing for cancer treatment may also be called tumor testing, tumor genetic testing, genomic testing or genomic profiling, molecular testing or molecular profiling, or somatic testing. The terminology may vary depending on the test, laboratory, or health care system.
The National Cancer Institute provides more information about biomarker testing for cancer treatment.
Not everyone with ovarian cancer has the same biomarkers. Important biomarkers can also vary by ovarian cancer type and subtype.
Depending on your diagnosis and where you are in treatment, testing may look for tumor biomarkers such as:
Not every person needs testing for every biomarker, and not every biomarker has a treatment approved specifically for ovarian cancer.
However, broader testing may sometimes find a biomarker that matches you with a treatment that can be used for several types of cancer. These are sometimes called tumor-agnostic treatments.
Biomarker results may help your health care team:
The National Cancer Institute provides additional information about how biomarker testing may help guide cancer treatment.
Biomarker testing can use tumor tissue, blood, or another body fluid. The type of sample depends on what your health care team needs to learn and which test is being performed.
Tumor biomarker testing most often examines tissue collected during surgery or a biopsy.
If it has been several years since your last surgery or biopsy, your doctor may sometimes recommend testing newer tumor tissue. Cancers can change over time, and newer testing may provide information that affects treatment options.
Some biomarker tests can also use a blood sample. These are sometimes called liquid biopsies.
Testing may look for:
For example, testing may evaluate proteins such as FRα, HER2, or PD-L1. It may also identify molecular changes involving genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2, KRAS, NTRK, or RET.
Tumor biomarker testing looks for changes or features within the cancer itself. For example, a tumor may have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation that developed only in the cancer. This is sometimes called a somatic mutation.
Inherited genetic testing usually uses blood or saliva to look for gene changes that were inherited from a parent and are present throughout the body. These are also called germline genetic changes.
Having one type of testing does not necessarily mean you have had the other. In some situations, both may provide important information for treatment planning and understanding inherited cancer risk.
Learn more about the difference between inherited genetic testing and biomarker tumor testing.
🎥 Watch: Biomarker testing and targeted treatment
Gynecologic oncologist Dr. Barbara Buttin discusses how biomarker testing can help identify specific features of ovarian cancer and provide information that may guide treatment decisions, including targeted therapies.
💡 Prepare for a conversation about biomarker testing
Biomarker testing can provide information that may influence your treatment options.
NOCC’s Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Biomarker Tumor Testing guide can help you ask about what testing has been performed, what your results mean, and how those results may affect treatment.
Many targeted therapies are prescribed because testing identifies a feature in the cancer that the treatment is designed to target.
Which treatment may be appropriate depends on the biomarker, ovarian cancer type, previous treatments, and where you are in treatment.
Targeted treatment options continue to change. These therapies are examples of treatments available at the time this page was medically reviewed. New approvals, updated indications, and clinical trial results may change which treatments are available. Your health care team can explain the most current options for your diagnosis.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that help cells repair DNA damage. Changes, or mutations, in these genes can affect how well that repair process works.
Homologous recombination deficiency, or HRD, means that cancer cells have difficulty repairing certain types of DNA damage. HRD can be related to BRCA1 or BRCA2 changes, but it can also happen for other reasons.
This information can help doctors determine whether a type of targeted therapy called a PARP inhibitor may be an option.
PARP inhibitors interfere with another process cells use to repair DNA. When a cancer cell already has problems repairing DNA, blocking PARP can make it harder for the cell to survive.
PARP inhibitors used in ovarian cancer treatment include:
PARP inhibitors may be used as maintenance treatment in selected people after ovarian cancer responds to platinum-based chemotherapy.
Maintenance treatment is treatment given after cancer responds to initial therapy to help maintain that response for as long as possible.
BRCA and HRD results can play an important role in determining whether a PARP inhibitor may be appropriate. Eligibility depends on the medication, biomarker results, treatment setting, previous treatment, and current FDA indication.
Folate receptor alpha (FRα) is a protein found on the surface of some ovarian cancer cells.
Mirvetuximab soravtansine (Elahere) is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that targets FRα. The antibody recognizes FRα on the cancer cell and delivers a cancer-killing drug to the cell.
Elahere is an approved treatment for certain people with FRα-positive, platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received previous treatment. Testing is used to determine whether the tumor has enough FRα for the treatment to be considered.
Because Elahere can cause eye-related side effects, people receiving the treatment require specific eye monitoring before and during treatment.
Some low-grade serous ovarian cancers (LGSOC) have a mutation in the KRAS gene.
KRAS is part of a signaling pathway that tells cells when to grow and divide. Certain KRAS mutations can keep growth signals active.
For adults with KRAS-mutated recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer who have received previous systemic treatment, targeted treatment may include:
These medicines are used together to interfere with growth-signaling pathways that cancer cells use to grow and survive. The FDA granted accelerated approval to the combination in 2025 for KRAS-mutated recurrent LGSOC. KRAS mutation testing is required to identify patients for this treatment.
Learn more about treatment advances for low-grade serous ovarian cancer.
HER2 is a protein involved in cell growth. Some cancers produce high levels of HER2.
The treatment Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) is a HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate.
It has an FDA approval for certain previously treated solid tumors with high levels of HER2, regardless of where the cancer first developed. This type of approval is called tumor-agnostic.
For selected people whose ovarian cancer has HER2 IHC 3+ expression and meets the other treatment requirements, HER2-directed therapy may be an option.
HER2-positive ovarian cancer does not automatically mean this treatment will be recommended. Your health care team will consider your full diagnosis, previous treatment, and other available options.
An NTRK gene fusion can create an abnormal protein that sends signals encouraging cancer cells to grow.
NTRK gene fusions are uncommon, but targeted treatments are available for certain cancers with these gene fusions. These treatments may be used regardless of where the cancer first developed. This is called a tumor-agnostic treatment.
For someone with ovarian cancer and an NTRK gene fusion, an NTRK-directed treatment may be an option if the other treatment requirements are met.
Ask your health care team what molecular testing has been performed and whether an NTRK gene fusion was found.
A RET gene fusion can promote cancer growth.
The treatment Selpercatinib (Retevmo) is a targeted therapy that blocks RET.
It may be an option for eligible people with an advanced solid tumor that has a RET gene fusion when the cancer has progressed after previous systemic treatment or when there are no satisfactory alternative treatment options.
The FDA granted traditional approval for this tumor-agnostic indication in July 2026.
Yes.
Biomarker testing may sometimes identify immunotherapy or another treatment option rather than a targeted therapy.
Immunotherapy and targeted therapy are different types of cancer treatment. Immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize or attack cancer, while targeted therapies interfere with specific features or processes that cancer cells use to grow and survive.
PD-L1 is a protein that can help cancer cells avoid being attacked by the immune system.
In February 2026, the FDA approved the immunotherapy pembrolizumab (Keytruda) plus paclitaxel, with or without bevacizumab, for certain people with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer whose tumors are PD-L1-positive and who meet other treatment requirements.
Mismatch repair deficiency (dMMR) and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) are biomarkers that can occur when cancer cells have problems repairing DNA damage.
These biomarkers are not common in ovarian cancer, but finding one may help identify immunotherapy as a treatment option.
Certain immunotherapies are approved for cancers with these biomarkers, regardless of where the cancer started.
Not every targeted therapy is selected because of a biomarker result.
Some treatments target processes involved in cancer growth and may be recommended based on your ovarian cancer type, treatment history, response to previous treatment, or other clinical factors.
Bevacizumab (Avastin) is an angiogenesis inhibitor. It works by blocking the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow.
Tumors need blood vessels to provide oxygen and nutrients. Bevacizumab targets a protein called VEGF that helps tumors create new blood vessels.
By interfering with this process, bevacizumab can make it more difficult for tumors to develop the blood supply they need.
Bevacizumab may be:
A specific tumor biomarker is not routinely required to determine whether someone may receive bevacizumab.
Relacorilant (Lifyorli) is designed to help chemotherapy work better by blocking the effects of cortisol, a hormone that can help some cancer cells resist treatment.
In March 2026, the FDA approved relacorilant in combination with nab-paclitaxel for adults with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who have received one to three previous systemic treatment regimens, including at least one containing bevacizumab.
Targeted therapies do not all work in the same way.
Depending on the treatment, they may:
PARP inhibitors make it harder for certain cancer cells to repair damaged DNA.
Angiogenesis inhibitors such as bevacizumab interfere with signals tumors use to develop new blood vessels.
Antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, combine an antibody designed to recognize a feature on a cancer cell with a cancer-killing drug.
Examples include FRα-directed mirvetuximab soravtansine and, in selected HER2-positive tumors, HER2-directed trastuzumab deruxtecan.
Some targeted therapies interfere with pathways that tell cancer cells to grow and divide.
Avutometinib and defactinib are examples of treatments that interfere with growth-signaling pathways in KRAS-mutated recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer.
NTRK- and RET-directed therapies target abnormal proteins created by certain gene fusions.
🎥 Watch: How is targeted therapy used to treat ovarian cancer?
Sarah Taylor, MD, explains how targeted therapies work, when they may be used as part of ovarian cancer treatment, and how these treatments may target specific features that help cancer cells grow and survive.
Targeted therapy may be used at different points during ovarian cancer treatment.
Depending on the specific medicine, targeted therapy may be used:
Not every targeted therapy is appropriate for every ovarian cancer type.
Your treatment plan may depend on:
Because treatment options continue to change, ask whether additional biomarker testing or a clinical trial could affect your options.
How targeted therapy is given depends on the specific medicine.
Some targeted therapies are taken by mouth as pills or tablets.
Examples include:
The dose and schedule vary by treatment.
Other targeted therapies are given into a vein at an infusion center or clinic.
Examples include:
Some targeted therapies are given together with chemotherapy, while others may be used alone.
Your health care team will explain how often you will receive treatment, how long treatment may continue, and what monitoring you will need.
Targeted therapies can cause side effects, and those side effects vary from one medicine to another.
Being called a targeted treatment does not mean that a drug affects only cancer cells or that it will necessarily cause fewer side effects than chemotherapy.
Possible side effects may include:
Not every treatment causes the same side effects.
Some therapies also have specific risks that require additional monitoring. For example:
Talk with your health care team about:
Your cancer care team will monitor how your cancer responds to treatment. Some biomarkers, such as CA-125, may also be followed over time.
Depending on your diagnosis and treatment, monitoring may include:
Biomarker testing and treatment monitoring are not the same thing.
Biomarker testing is primarily used to learn about the cancer and help guide treatment selection. Imaging, symptoms, tumor markers, and other clinical tests are more commonly used to evaluate how treatment is working.
In some situations, additional biomarker testing may be recommended later, particularly if the cancer returns or new treatment options become available.
Circulating tumor DNA, or ctDNA, refers to small pieces of DNA from cancer cells that can be found in the bloodstream.
Researchers are studying whether ctDNA may help doctors learn more about treatment response and whether very small amounts of cancer remain.
Its role in ovarian cancer continues to evolve. ctDNA is not routinely used instead of imaging, symptoms, tumor markers, or other standard methods of monitoring treatment at this time.
Consider asking your health care team:
Writing down your questions and keeping a copy of your pathology, genetic testing, and biomarker results can make it easier to discuss future treatment options.
Targeted therapy is not one single treatment. It includes different medicines designed to act on different features or processes involved in cancer growth.
Some targeted treatments require a particular biomarker. Others do not.
Understanding your ovarian cancer type, biomarker results, previous treatments, and the goal of therapy can help you take an active role in treatment decisions.
Ask your health care team to explain:
Explore additional NOCC information and resources:
Biomarker testing is increasingly important in ovarian cancer treatment, but the exact testing needed depends on your ovarian cancer type, treatment setting, and other factors.
Some treatments require a specific biomarker, while others do not.
Ask your health care team what testing is recommended for your diagnosis and whether additional testing may become useful later.
Not necessarily.
A biomarker may indicate that a treatment is more likely to work or that you meet the eligibility requirements for a particular therapy.
However, a biomarker cannot guarantee that a cancer will respond.
Your health care team will consider your biomarker results along with your ovarian cancer type, previous treatments, overall health, and other factors.
Not exactly.
Both chemotherapy and targeted therapies are medicines used to treat cancer, but they work in different ways.
Chemotherapy generally damages or kills rapidly dividing cells. Targeted therapies are designed to interfere with specific proteins, pathways, or other features that help cancer cells grow and survive.
Some targeted therapies, such as antibody-drug conjugates, can carry a cancer-killing medicine to cells that have a particular target.
Targeted therapy and chemotherapy may also be used together.
No.
Immunotherapy and targeted therapy are different types of cancer treatment.
Targeted therapies act on specific features or processes involved in cancer growth. Immunotherapy helps the immune system recognize or attack cancer.
However, biomarker testing may help determine whether either type of treatment could be appropriate.
Maintenance therapy is treatment given after cancer responds to initial treatment. The goal is to help keep the cancer under control for as long as possible. Some PARP inhibitors and bevacizumab may be used as maintenance treatment in selected ovarian cancers.
Whether maintenance therapy is recommended depends on your diagnosis, response to treatment, biomarker results, previous treatment, and other factors.
Not necessarily.
Targeted treatments work differently from chemotherapy, but they can still cause significant side effects.
The type and severity of side effects depend on the specific medicine. Some side effects may be different from chemotherapy rather than simply fewer.
Yes.
Targeted therapies can play an important role in treating recurrent ovarian cancer.
Which treatment may be appropriate depends on your ovarian cancer type, biomarker results, previous therapies, how the cancer responded to treatment, and other individual factors.
Because treatment options continue to change, biomarker testing and clinical trials may become particularly important when evaluating options after recurrence.
Some features of a cancer can change as the cancer evolves or becomes resistant to treatment.
In certain situations, your health care team may recommend testing a newer tumor sample or performing additional molecular testing if ovarian cancer returns.
Repeat testing is not necessary for everyone. Ask whether additional testing could provide useful information in your situation.
Learn how genetic testing for an inherited mutation and tumor biomarker testing provide different information and how results may help guide personalized ovarian cancer treatment.
Learn how chemotherapy may be used before or after surgery and for recurrent ovarian cancer, including common drugs, treatment cycles, and side effects.
Learn how clinical trials study new targeted therapies, combinations, and biomarker-driven treatments and how to ask whether a trial may be appropriate for you.
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