Research
Prevention: The OvCaRe team is pioneering new approaches to gynecological surgery based on the discovery that, in a majority of cases, the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer arises in the fallopian tubes. It is anticipated these will lead to a reduction in the incidence of ovarian cancer in the years to come.
The OvCaRe team has recently discovered that in the majority of cases, the most common and deadly form of ovarian cancer arises in the fallopian tubes. This significant breakthrough in our understanding of the origins of ovarian cancer will radically change the way in which gynecological surgery is performed in the future.
Screening and early diagnosis: The discovery that ovarian cancer tumors can arise in the fallopian tube has also energized efforts to develop new tests to detect cancer at an early, curable stage, or detect precancerous changes. OvCaRe has two projects underway in collaboration with the Stanford Cancer Centre in California and the University of Washington aimed at developing an equivalent to the “Pap smear” for the fallopian tube. The research team is also working on new, advanced imaging techniques to examine fallopian tubes.
Individualized treatment: OvCaRe is leading an international revolution in the diagnosis and classification of ovarian cancer, based on new research that ovarian cancer consists of five distinct diseases. This has led to introduction of new individualized treatments specific to the five subtypes of ovarian cancer. Women with ovarian cancer who receive individualized treatments are living longer. In recognition of the leadership of OvCaRe in pioneering individualized treatment, B.C. was chosen as the lead centre in North America for a trial of a unique therapy for the most aggressive form of ovarian cancer. It is hoped this new treatment will benefit at least 60 per cent of women with this lethal malignancy.
Over the past four years the OvCaRe team have produced a body of research that proves that the different subtypes of ovarian cancer are completely different diseases rather than being flavours of the same disease. This research has fundamentally changed the way ovarian cancer research is being performed not just in British Columbia but nationally and internationally. Although these findings explain why progress in ovarian cancer treatment and in the development of markers in the early detection of ovarian cancer has, so far, proceeded slowly; they have also provided huge opportunities to move forward. Our task now is to develop evidence based cancer control programs for each subtype of ovarian carcinoma. The first step towards this goal will be to better understand which subtypes of ovarian cancer actually are. To achieve this we have formed an alliance with the Michael Smith Genome Sciences Centre. Using novel sequencing technologies we have already laid bare the wiring of several ovarian cancers. Basically we are decoding ovarian cancers the same way the SARS virus was decoded. This research program is the most sophisticated ovarian cancer genomics program ongoing internationally. With your support the data produced from this analysis will be used to develop early detection tools, new prognostic and predictive biomarkers and new strategies for treating ovarian cancer. Through this programmatic approach to redefining ovarian cancer management and a myriad of national and international collaborations the OvCaRe team in British Columbia will be international leaders in clinically relevant ovarian cancer research.
We can beat ovarian cancer.
