# OlympiAD: olaparib versus chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer with a germline BRCA mutation

Source: https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-olympiad-nejm-2017/  
OnCo record `paper-olympiad-nejm-2017` (Key paper). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

In women with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer and an inherited BRCA mutation, the PARP inhibitor tablet olaparib delayed progression by almost three months compared with chemotherapy and caused fewer severe side effects.

## Summary

Phase 3 trial of 302 patients with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer and a germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, previously treated with up to two chemotherapy lines, randomised 2:1 to olaparib or single-agent chemotherapy of physician's choice.

Median progression-free survival was 7.0 versus 4.2 months (hazard ratio 0.58) with a response rate of 59.9 versus 28.8 percent; overall survival was not significantly different, though a benefit appeared in patients who had not received chemotherapy for metastatic disease.

## Fields

- Kind: Key paper
- Last checked: 2026-09-17
- Journal: New England Journal of Medicine
- Year: 2017
- DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1706450
- Authors: Robson M, Im SA, Senkus E, et al.
- Findings: Median progression-free survival 7.0 vs 4.2 months; hazard ratio 0.58.; Objective response 59.9 percent vs 28.8 percent; grade 3 or worse adverse events 36.6 percent vs 50.5 percent.
- What it means: Germline BRCA testing became part of metastatic breast cancer work-up, and olaparib (with talazoparib after EMBRACA) is a standard option, especially for triple-negative disease.
- Caveats: No overall survival benefit in the whole population.; Platinum chemotherapy was not in the comparator arm.

## Sources

- N Engl J Med 2017: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1706450
- PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28578601/

## Connected records

- cancers: [Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/tnbc-metastatic/)
- drugs: [Olaparib](https://onco.cc/drugs/olaparib/)
- trials: [OlympiAD](https://onco.cc/trials/olympiad/)
- journals: [New England Journal of Medicine](https://onco.cc/journals/nejm/)

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