Chicago Center for Jewish Genetics Disorders

Feature Article

New Ovarian Cancer Study Aims to Answer Prevention & Screening Questions

This year, it is expected that 25,000 women in the United States may be diagnosed with ovarian cancer. As with many cancers, the survival rates for ovarian cancer are much higher when the disease is detected early. Currently, more than 30% of women with ovarian cancer survive longer than 5 years. But if diagnosed and treated while the cancer has not spread outside the ovary, 95% of women with ovarian cancer live longer than 5 years. It is easy to see that prevention and early detection are crucial when facing this disease.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), in collaboration with the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG), is funding a new study to identify ways to lower the risk of developing ovarian cancer, as well as to improve the ability to detect the cancer early. Cancer researchers at 63 GOG institutions are now enrolling patients in this new clinical study.

The Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study involves women at elevated risk of developing ovarian cancer because they have a strong family history of breast or ovarian cancer or have tested positive for changes in genes which increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer. The study is evaluating two intervention strategies and, for that reason, participants who join the study are being divided into two groups. One group includes women who choose to have their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, to determine by how much the preventive surgery decreases the risk of developing ovarian cancer. The second group includes women who elect not to undergo surgery. Rather, these women are being screened for early detection of ovarian cancer, using a new screening technique, which is based on frequent blood tests. Upon entering the study, all study participants will complete a series of questionnaires, receive an ultrasound examination of the ovaries, and provide blood samples. Throughout the study, women in each study group will be closely monitored.

Unlike most research studies, the participants in the Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study are able to choose the segment of the study they would like to join. Women may be eligible for the study if they are at least 30 years old, and if they are at an increased risk of ovarian cancer because they or a close relative have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation, or because they have a very strong family history of breast and/or ovarian cancer. The Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study plans to evaluate more than 3,400 participants within the next two years.

For more information, or to join the Ovarian Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Study, you may call GOG, at 1-800-225-3053 to determine the location of the nearest open study center, or visit the study Web site at http://ovariancancer.gog199.cancer.gov/. In addition, you may call NCI’s Cancer Information Service at 1-800-4-CANCER.

In the Chicago area, the Principal Investigator for GOG 199 at Evanston Northwestern Healthcare is Dr. Gustavo Rodriguez. Dr. Gershon Locker, a member of the Center’s Board of Directors, is the overall PI for the NCI-sponsored research program at ENH. Other collaborators on the study are Dr. Kenny Bozorgi, Dr. Wendy Rubinstein (Center Advisory Board Member), Dr. Barbara Parilla, and Dr. William Watkin. Please contact Elaine Heeney at 847-570-2375 for more information or to enroll in the study.

The Principal Investigator for GOG 199 at Rush University Medical Center is Dr. Lydia Usha, a member of the Center’s Advisory Board. Please contact Lois Winkelman, RN, MS at 312-942-6723. The Genetics clinic for counseling and genetic testing can be reached at 312-563-2361.

Dania D'Achille, MS
Genetic Counselor, Children's Memorial Hospital
Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders