Cervical cell samples that are routinely collected as part of Pap smears may hold promise for predicting the risk of ovarian and other cancers, according to recent findings published as two separate papers in Nature — one focused on ovarian cancer and the other on breast cancer. The researchers studied cervical samples collected at 15 different health centers in Europe … Continued
A prospective cohort study recently published on Vaccines set out to determine the safety and effectiveness of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for gynecologic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment around the time of their vaccination. In all, 44 gynecologic cancer patients were enrolled in the study, including 28 ovarian cancer patients. Patients involved in the study … Continued
Happy new year! While the temperatures may be chilly for many of us, we hope everyone is keeping warm with renewed hope for a year of progress toward our mission, and a strong sense of community. Only three weeks into 2022, and we already have a lot to share. So, without further ado … Research … Continued
OCRA is pleased to announce the recipients of two research prizes, selected by members of our Scientific Advisory Committee for their notable contributions to the field of ovarian cancer research and commitment to future discoveries. Dr. Kathleen Cho Awarded Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research Prize The Rosalind Franklin Excellence in Ovarian Cancer Research … Continued
New study findings not only reveal where the most common ovarian cancer subtype originates in certain patients, but also point to the future possibility of being able to predict who will get the disease. The research, published in Cell Reports, was led by Clive N. Svendsen, PhD, of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee … Continued
More breakthroughs are on the horizon, as OCRA has awarded grants to 22 dedicated scientists at 15 prestigious medical institutions to enable future ovarian cancer discoveries. With this funding, OCRA grantees aim to answer questions that have vexed the scientific community, building on our collective knowledge and identifying new opportunities for ovarian cancer prevention and … Continued
A randomized trial recently showed that patients with an ovarian cancer recurrence who undergo cytoreductive surgery along with chemotherapy show better survival rates than those who only receive chemotherapy. More than 400 patients were randomized into two groups: 206 were assigned to cytoreductive debulking surgery and chemotherapy, and 201 only had chemotherapy. The median survival rate in … Continued
Dr. Anne van Harten, of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award. With her project, “Targeted MDM2 Degradation as a Novel Treatment for Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. van Harten is designing and testing a new compound to target a … Continued
OCRA grantees Ignacio Vázquez-García, PhD and Sohrab Shah, PhD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, along with colleagues, have found that distinct mutational processes determine the different mechanisms by which certain ovarian cancer tumors are able to evade the immune system and continue to grow. These learnings may lead the way to future immunotherapeutic approaches that can more … Continued
Dr. Sammy Ferri-Borgogno, of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award. With her project, “Spatially-Resolved Cellular and Transcriptome Analyses of Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Ferri-Borgogno is working to better understand ovarian cancer microenvironments, to find ways to better combat drug resistance. What initially sparked your … Continued
Dr. Arun Kanakkanthara, of Mayo Clinic, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Liz Tilberis Early Career Award. With his project, “Exploiting a Metabolic Dependency of PARPinhibitor-Resistant Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Kanakkanthara is investigating ways to overcome tumor resistance to PARP inhibitors, a critical issue in ovarian cancer treatment. What initially sparked your interest in science? Science … Continued
Dr. Wei Zhou, of The Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, is a 2021 recipient of OCRA’s Ann & Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award, mentored by Dr. Rugang Zhang. With his project, “Targeting the Mevalonate Pathway in ARID1A-Mutated Ovarian Cancer,” Dr. Zhou is investigating ARID1A mutations, in search of better therapeutic options for patients with ovarian clear … Continued
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