Closing in on Early Detection and Developing Better Therapies: Topics of 2nd Ovarian Cancer Symposium at University of Pittsburgh, Oct. 24-25

Clinical trials, biomarker studies and survivor stories offer renewed hope to researchers and patients alike

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PITTSBURGH, Oct. 19 – Researchers from around the world will join ovarian cancer survivors and patients in Pittsburgh Oct. 24-25 to discuss novel prevention, early detection, treatment and coping strategies for ovarian cancer - a disease that will be diagnosed in 22,000 women in the U.S. this year alone. Despite aggressive surgery and chemotherapy approaches, the prognosis for ovarian cancer has been poor since the majority of women have advanced disease at the time it is detected - most women have a life expectancy of only three to four years after their diagnoses.

A major theme at the symposium, titled “Ovarian Cancer: Prevention and Detection of Disease and its Recurrence, Molecular Targets and the Immune System,” will be the status of research to transform ovarian cancer from a disease that kills 16,000 per year in the U.S. into one that can be managed throughout a woman's life. New research approaches that will be presented are two-pronged: to prevent the disease from occurring in the first place and to stall its progression once it has already developed.

“This symposium represents a rare opportunity to share knowledge with the leading experts from the National Cancer Institute and research universities throughout the world, and to actively encourage open discussion with ovarian cancer survivors who will help us make real progress in ovarian cancer research, bringing much needed hope to patients and their families,” said conference chair Francesmary Modugno, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH) and University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI).

The symposium will be held at the Ronald B. Herberman Conference Center at the UPMC Cancer Pavilion in the Shadyside area of Pittsburgh, and is being sponsored by GSPH, UPCI and Magee-Womens Hospital of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The meeting will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 24, and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 25.

Presentations during the first day of the meeting will focus on the epidemiology of ovarian cancer and new and emerging technologies in prevention and early detection, as well as the role genetics plays in the disease. A special focus on the first day will be the impact of alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, meditation and yoga, on wellness and quality of life, and will include a cooking demonstration and tips for healthy eating for ovarian cancer patients.

Second day presentations will focus on psychosocial and behavioral approaches to living with ovarian cancer and new research into the molecular mechanisms of the disease and proteomic approaches. Giving the plenary address on the second day at 8 a.m. will be Karen Johnson, MD, PhD, MPH, chief of the Breast and Gynecologic Malignancies Branch, National Cancer Institute. Dr. Johnson is an ovarian cancer survivor.

Highlights of the research to be presented at the symposium include:

• Pitt researchers have identified a panel of five biomarkers present in serum that appear to signify early stage ovarian cancer with very high sensitivity and specificity. Researchers are screening for these markers in two serum banks—one from nearly 11,000 British women collected over a seven-year period in which 21 ovarian cancers were diagnosed; and the second from more than 10,000 high-risk women in the U.S. The goal is to develop this screening assay into a diagnostic test to improve early detection of ovarian cancer and monitor therapeutic response and recurrence in women with ovarian cancer.
• Status of a Phase III trial being carried out at the University of Pittsburgh and other centers of a promising new chemotherapy agent called TELCYTA that, when combined with standard chemotherapy, appears to arrest the growth of recurrent ovarian cancer cells. TELCYTA is activated by the enzyme GST P1-1, which is found in increased quantities in cancer cells and is thought to play an important role in the development of the resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy.
• Soon-to-be-published findings that show ovarian cancer cells differentially express taxane-metabolizing enzymes. Based on these results, researchers are conducting a phase II study of docetaxel and carboplatin in women with variants in genes involved in metabolizing and transporting these drugs, and hope to eventually develop individually targeted therapy based on pharmacogenetic properties.
• Identification of certain dietary agents that appear to provide a cancer-fighting benefit by slowing or preventing the growth of ovarian cancer tumor cells. Researchers looked at the chemotherapeutic potential of phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), a constituent of cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, and the chemoprotective effects of phytochemicals in black tea and decaffeinated coffee.
• A new paradigm in cancer research based on the notion that tumors are produced by a rare subpopulation of cells with stem cell-like features that are resistant to traditional therapies. Scientists believe they have isolated these cells and that they exist at the heart of ovarian tumors and give rise to ovarian cancer cells. They are currently being compared to the functional characteristics of normal adult stem cells.

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UPMC News Bureau