Research led by local medical experts found clinical evidence for a new therapy to treat women with ovarian cancer, the world’s first such research related to the effects of the Poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitor on Chinese ovarian cancer patients, according to officials from Shanghai Cancer Center.

The research was published in the Annals of Oncology journal.

The PARP inhibitor is considered a promising development for ovarian cancer treatment.

Treating this form of cancer is difficult, because it commonly isn't discovered until its late stage. There are more than 50,000 cases in China every year, 20 percent of the world's total.

However, more than half of the women with ovarian cancer have relapses within two years, which become more frequent, and treatment effects decline.

The PARP inhibitor will become a new treatment standard and usher in a new whole-process management and precise medical protocol.

Dr Wu Xiaohua from Shanghai Cancer Center led the research that examined the therapy’s effects and safety for Chinese patients in order to create more precise, effective therapies.

The research, which kicked off in September 2017, was carried out in 30 Chinese medical centers with 265 patients.