Recent advances in our understanding of the molecular biology of cancer in conjunction with the advent of next generation sequencing (NGS) have led to the development of targeted agents, mainly of monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule compounds, which paved the way for individualized cancer therapy based on molecular profiles. Targeted therapies against actionable gene mutations constitute an important addition into the therapeutic repertoire of cancer since they show significantly higher response rates as well as longer survival rates compared to conventional chemotherapy.

Breast and ovarian cancers are among the first malignancies for which targeted therapies were available and have been used successfully. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, which were originally implemented into the treatment of a small subset of breast and ovarian cancers, i.e. those carrying pathogenic variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, constitute a successful example of personalized approaches. Despite the proven clinical benefit, resistance to PARP inhibition can occur through multiple mechanisms. Beyond PARP inhibition, a number of clinical studies evaluate emerging inhibitors targeting the genetic defects of breast and ovarian tumors. Accurate identification of tumor and germline genetic defects in multiple genes is critical for patient selection for targeted therapies.

This Research Topic aims at presenting the most recent advances in the field of targeted therapies for breast and ovarian cancers. It also aims at presenting results from studies focusing on genotype/therapy response correlations from countries which are underrepresented in clinical trials.

Authors are warmly invited to submit Clinical Trials, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Systematic Reviews, and Original Research articles covering, but not limited to, the following subtopics:

1. Identification of druggable genetic targets for breast and ovarian cancer
2. Preclinical research translating molecular targets into clinical practice
3. Clinical trials illustrating response to targeted therapies for breast and ovarian cancers
4. PARP inhibitors and underlying mechanisms of resistance
5. Novel PARP inhibitors
6. Population-based studies focusing on the efficacy of specific targeted treatments based on the genetic profile of the patients

Manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics, computational analysis, or predictions of public databases which are not accompanied by validation (independent cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) will not be accepted in Frontiers in Oncology.

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