What is OvCaRe?

OvCaRe stands for Ovarian Cancer Research.  OvCaRe formed in late 2000 when a group of Vancouver-based physicians and scientists joined with the common vision of enhancing ovarian cancer research in British Columbia and the explicit goal of improving outcomes for ovarian cancer patients.  OvCaRe researchers are a multidisciplinary team, spanning basic to clinical science to allow for a true ‘bench-to-bedside’ approach. 

OvCaRe is currently focused on three major goals.  The first is to improve ovarian cancer survival through early detection of disease.  OvCaRe researchers are working to identify proteins that are produced in the early stages of ovarian cancer.  Detection of these proteins can then be developed into diagnostic tests to allow for earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer.  The second goal is to develop new therapies for ovarian cancer treatment.  This is being achieved through research aimed at identifying the cause of ovarian cancer at the cellular level and then directly and specifically targeting that defect.  OvCaRe is using a similar strategy to develop treatments to prevent ovarian cancer recurrence.  The third goal of OvCaRe is to develop individualized ovarian cancer treatments.  Ovarian cancer can be subdivided into several groups based on their pathological appearance, however these groups are currently all treated in the same manner, though their responses are quite variable.  OvCaRe is working to determine what is responsible for division between ovarian cancers subtypes and developing subtype specific treatments.    

OvCaRe was developed as a collaboration between the BC Cancer Agency, the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, and the University of British Columbia.  OvCaRe is funded through donations to the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and BC Cancer Foundation.  In 2007, OvCaRe was awarded a Research Unit Award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research. The OvCaRe team is considered a leader in ovarian cancer research, breaking new ground in improving the identification, understanding, and treatment of this disease.