Ovarian cancer breakthrough as patients who take pill 'less likely to die'

Ovarian cancer breakthrough as patients who take pill 'less likely to die'Hope for ovarian cancer patients as two new studies show increase in survivalCommentsNewsCharlotte Smith Senior Lifestyle Content Editor08:21, 11 Apr 2026View 2 ImagesResearchers found that those taking relacorilant were 35% less likely to die(Image: Getty)A drug for a rare disease may extend the lives of ovarian cancer patients, a new trial has suggested. Patients with a certain type of ovarian cancer may also benefit by taking a drug for Cushing’s syndrome – a rare condition caused by having too much of a hormone called cortisol in the body.‌On average, patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer only live for around one year after diagnosis. Women are deemed to have this type of disease if their cancer progresses within six months of having platinum-based chemotherapy.‌A new study found that patients who took relacorilant, a pill currently used to treat Cushing’s syndrome and other cancers, plus usual treatment, lived four months longer than women receiving usual care. The study, which has been published in The Lancet and presented at the SGO 2026 annual meeting on women’s cancer, examined data on 381 platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients.‌Researchers found that those taking relacorilant were 35% less likely to die compared to those receiving usual care. Women given relacorilant lived for an average of 16 months, compared to 11.9 months for those who had usual care."These outcomes — a 35% reduction of the risk of death from any cause and a median overall survival improvement of 4.1 months—position relacorilant plus nab-paclitaxel as a new standard treatment option for patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer", the authors wrote.View 2 ImagesStudy finds people taking the pill lived longer (stock image)‌Meanwhile, a separate study published in the same journal and also presented to the SGO 2026 annual meeting on women’s cancer suggests that an immunotherapy...