2-Day Ovarian Cancer Symposium Closes With A Promise To Find A Cure

Main Category: Ovarian Cancer
Article Date: 08 Sep 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Cutting-edge discoveries in ovarian cancer research including developments on improving therapeutics for patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer and early detection of the disease were revealed as the 7th Biennial Ovarian Cancer Research Symposium came to a close Friday afternoon.

The two-day symposium covered all aspects of ovarian cancer research, but some of the most exciting included Dr. Stephen Howell, from the University of California San Diego, who presented a new strategy for improving drug penetration for intraperitoneal (IP) therapy. Intraperitoneal therapy has been demonstrated in multiple trials to improve the outcome of chemotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer. However, poor drug penetration is a major factor that limits such a benefit. Dr. Howell said the combination of certain drugs is an attractive strategy for increasing tumor penetration and that a phase one trial is under development.

Dr. Patricia Kruk, from the University of South Florida, also presented research that could lead to using a non-invasive urine test for detecting ovarian cancer. Kruk said her research found that the amount of Bcl-2 levels was generally negligible in urine samples from healthy women and low in women with benign gynecologic disease. In contrast, urinary levels of Bcl-2 in women with ovarian and primary peritoneal cancer were over 10 times that of healthy controls.

The Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research hosted the symposium which drew a record audience and created even more of a demand for this type of collaboration between researchers in order to find a cure. The next symposium is planned for 2010.

"This year's symposium has generated hopeful discussion about the future of ovarian cancer research and has drawn together the best and the brightest in this field," said Nancy Sclater, executive director of the Rivkin Center. "This month [September] is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, so now our focus is to generate even more awareness of this disease that kills a woman every single day in Washington State."

The Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research was founded in 1996 by Saul Rivkin, M.D., in memory of his wife who succumbed to ovarian cancer. It has been the catalyst for national and international research efforts aimed at finding solutions to ovarian cancer. The Center is dedicated to saving lives and reducing suffering through improved treatment, early detection and prevention of ovarian cancer.

Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research