HRD: The Test Everyone With Advanced Ovarian Cancer Should Know About

When you’re diagnosed with cancer, the more information doctors can learn about your tumor at diagnosis, the better.

That’s especially true when it comes to advanced ovarian cancer. Knowing your tumor’s HRD status can help your healthcare team treat your unique type of cancer.¹ Getting tested may help them identify the appropriate treatments for you.¹

What is HRD?

HRD stands for homologous recombination deficiency. That sounds like a complicated term, but the basic idea is simple: HRD means cells can’t repair certain types of DNA damage. HRD can be determined by the presence of individual mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes 1 or 2 (BRCA1 or BRCA2) and/or instability in cells, which can lead to cancer.^1,2

Why get tested?

If you’ve been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, the HRD test can provide some important clarity, showing how your tumor may respond to certain treatments.¹ About 50% of people with advanced ovarian cancer may have tumors that test positive for HRD.¹

Tumor testing vs genetic testing

You might hear some unfamiliar terms when you talk to your doctor about testing. There are multiple types of tests, and they provide different sorts of information.

Tumor Testing: An HRD test is a tumor test, also known as a genomic test or a biomarker test. Tumor testing looks at all the genes in your tumor’s DNA and can find both inherited and acquired mutations.³ It can identify changes that affect cancer behaviors and inform treatment.¹

Genetic Testing: Examines specific inherited genes in your DNA, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. Genetic tests can help identify the potential risk of developing certain diseases, including some cancers. A blood or saliva sample will be collected for a genetic test.^1,2

“Educating women about their HRD status by getting tested is one of the ways AstraZeneca is trying to equip women with the information they need to understand their advanced ovarian cancer better,” said Roula Qaqish, U.S. medical franchise head, women’s cancer, AstraZeneca.

How do I get tested, and what happens after?

After diagnosis, the first step is asking your doctor about getting an HRD test. Testing will include taking a tumor tissue sample, during surgery or via a biopsy.¹ Depending on the results of your tumor’s HRD status, treatment may include⁴:

Surgery
Chemotherapy
Targeted treatment

If you’ve been diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer, ask your doctor about HRD testing. “We want every woman to feel confident that they have the right information to have meaningful conversations with their doctors and make the best decisions for their care,” Qaqish said.

For inspiration on what questions to ask during your appointment, AstraZeneca offers a doctor discussion guide at testforHRD.com

REFERENCES

Medical News Today. What to know about HRD testing for ovarian cancer. Accessed September 2024. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hrd-positive-ovarian-cancer.
National Cancer Institute. BRCA Gene Changes: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing. Accessed September 2024. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet.
National Cancer Institute. Biomarker testing for cancer treatment. Accessed September 2024. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/biomarker-testing-cancer-treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Treatment of Ovarian Cancer. Accessed September 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/ovarian-cancer/treatment/index.html.