CHICAGO (GenomeWeb)– A subpopulation of metastatic breast cancer patients with germline mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes had a 42 percent lower chance of progression with AstraZeneca's PARP inhibitor Lynparza (olaparib) compared to chemotherapy, a study has shown.

The randomized study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting is the first to show a PARP inhibitor extends progression-free survival in advanced breast cancer patients. It also is a sign of the expanding utility of BRCA testing in precision medicine.