PARP inhibitors are used in cancer treatment. PARP stands for poly (ADP ribose) polymerase. It's a protein that is part of the body's natural process to repair DNA in cells. So medicines that inhibit, or prevent, this protein from repairing DNA can help kill cancer cells.

When you get chemotherapy or radiation treatments, the goal is to destroy cancer cells. You might also get PARP inhibitors along with these treatments. They can stop PARP from repairing the DNA in the cells. This makes it more likely that the cancer cells will die.