Stars of Cancer Research Align to Develop Ovarian Cancer Detection Test

BUFFALO, N.Y. and FAIRFAX, Va., Nov. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The vast majority of ovarian cancers don't become apparent until they are advanced, making the chance of successful treatment to control these tumors quite slim. Four top teams of ovarian cancer researchers are uniting efforts in an unprecedented collaboration aimed at enabling early detection and perhaps prevention of many ovarian cancers.

Funded by a $544,360 developmental grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), this initiative, known as the DoD and SPORE Ovarian Cancer Omics Consortium, will apply emerging technologies to the pressing challenge to discover biomarkers for early detection of ovarian cancer.

"There's a window of opportunity where we can potentially prevent ovarian cancer, and that's the challenge these accomplished teams are coming together to tackle using state-of-the-art omics technologies," says Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, FRCOG, FACOG, Deputy Director of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, who will lead the collaborative effort as principal investigator (PI). "Our hope is that through team science, state-of-the-art technology and grassroots advocacy we will be able to dampen the impact of this very deadly and devastating cancer."

"I don't believe there has ever been such a united effort in medical science among researchers from both government and academic research organizations," says Larry Maxwell, MD, Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Inova Fairfax Women's Hospital, co-PI of the new effort as well as co-PI for the Department of Defense (DoD) Gynecologic Cancer Center of Excellence (GYN-COE). 

The Consortium will be comprised of the GYN-COE and Women's Health Integrated Research Center at Inova along with three teams pursuing federally funded research in ovarian cancer:

• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, led by Dr. Odunsi, overall PI, and Kirsten Moysich, PhD, co-PI and epidemiologist/public health expert
• The Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, led by Scott Kaufmann, MD, PhD, PI, and Mark Sherman, MD, Biospecimen Core Leader
• MD Anderson Cancer Center, led by co-PIs Robert Bast, MD, and Anil Sood, MD

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center is a community united by the drive to eliminate cancer's grip on humanity by unlocking its secrets through personalized approaches and unleashing the healing power of hope. Founded by Dr. Roswell Park in 1898, it is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. Learn more at www.roswellpark.org, or contact us at 1-800-ROSWELL (1-800-767-9355) or [email protected].

SOURCE Roswell Park Cancer Institute