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Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research University of Ottawa Annual Report Less than an hour ago, I had the great pleasure of having lunch with Grete Hale who had been a close friend of Corinne Boyer. With Grete, I was encouraged to reminisce about the progression during the past year of ovarian cancer research in Canada and in my position as the Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research at the University of Ottawa. And although a daily accounting of what has been accomplished is always disappointing, the year in retrospect has really been quite spectacular. The Ovarian Cancer Community One of my greatest pleasures has been having opportunities to meet the ovarian cancer community. Not the physicians and scientists, but those who are living with ovarian cancer and the families of those special people. It was highly motivating for me to see the amazing dedication of the families and friends who organized golf tournaments, silent auctions and fashion shows to support ovarian cancer research. And I'm hoping to give similar motivation to the young ovarian cancer researchers training in Ottawa, by bringing them along to these events in the coming year. In June of this year, the Canadian Federation of Biological Sciences awarded the Gordin Kaplan Award for Science Promotion to yours truly. When provided with the opportunity to give a lecture at the Federation's Annual Meeting, I spoke on "Public Involvement in Science: the Ovarian Cancer Experience". It is not an understatement to say that the ovarian cancer community has had a huge impact on the increase and awareness of ovarian cancer research in Canada, and during this talk I paid tribute to the efforts of those who have supported and fostered the development of the numerous initiatives that have aided ovarian cancer researchers in the past five years. Research Developments In terms of cancer treatments, this past year brought advancements that turned a new corner following the introduction of the second targetted therapeutic for cancer patients, Gleevec (the first being tamoxifen). These new therapeutics hold promise as drugs that target specifically cancer cells, thereby minimizing the toxic side effects that are common with the majority of chemotherapeutics currently in routine use. Although Gleevec has not yet been tested in ovarian cancer patients, there is a proposal to do so in the U.S. and we will be participating in that clinical trial by evaluating the tumour samples to determine how effectively the drug has targetted the tumour. We'll keep you posted. It is quite clear that new therapeutics with potential benefit to ovarian cancer patients could be studied more effectively and screened more quickly if there were better experimental models of ovarian cancer. Recognizing this deficiency, a colleague, Dr. Tom Hamilton at the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in Philadelphia, and I organized a workshop of international researchers with knowledge and expertise that could be applied to the generation of experimental models of ovarian cancer. The workshop was supported by the U.S. National Cancer Institute and was successful in identifying various strategies that were being developed or could be developed for generating models that resemble human ovarian cancers both genetically and pathologically. Many of these strategies are now currently being tested in several labs across North America, including ours. Growth and Developments in Ottawa Here at home in Ottawa, we have been strengthening the Ovarian Cancer Research Program as well. A schedule of bimonthly meetings of a multi-disciplinary group of physicians, pathologists, scientists, trainees, nurses and geneticists has been established to encourage the development of translational research projects that help to convert the discoveries made in the lab into clinically-relevant improvements in patient care. The Division of Gynecologic Oncology is actively recruiting to expand the gynecologic cancer program, and the University of Ottawa is organizing a one-day Women's Health Research Forum to celebrate their recent success in obtaining funding for an endowed Chair in Women’s Health Research, and to promote interactions between the women’s health researchers and the community. In addition, our seminar series regularly includes ovarian cancer scientists, and this fall we are looking forward to visits from two ovarian cancer scientists: Dr. Mark Nachtigal is a new young scientist at Dalhousie University and Dr. Jeremy Squire is a researcher at the University of Toronto with a strong track record in the field of chromosomal aberrations in cancer who is now shifting his attention to ovarian cancer. The National Ovarian Tumour Bank There is no doubt that the pilot project funded by NOCA to establish a national ovarian tumour bank has been a growing success. Several researchers in Toronto have pulled together to form a team that proposes to maximize the research data that can be obtained from the tumour samples. In Ottawa, tissues samples have been distributed to several groups across Canada, and just yesterday I had the great pleasure to learn that a close colleague has obtained a research grant to evaluate the mechanisms regulating gene expression in ovarian cancers. The grant was awarded based on preliminary data that had been obtained using samples from the tumour bank. With the growing number of scientists requesting access to the tumour samples, and therefore the increasing number who are showing an interest in ovarian cancer research, it is my hope that in the coming year we will be able to bring these individuals together for a national symposium during which we can share the outcomes of our investigations. Global Initiatives Some of our initiatives have also extended beyond North America. Members of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Ottawa have been working closely with colleagues at four universities in Japan. During the first bilateral workshop in the spring of 2000, the University of Ottawa signed a memorandum of understanding with two of these universities to develop research exchange programs. Preparations for the second workshop, to take place in Japan in November 2001, are already underway. The groundwork for interactions with ovarian cancer scientists in Sweden has also been laid. In less than one week, a team of 7 physicians and researchers from Sweden will be visiting us to investigate the possibility for scientific collaborations and exchange. It is anticipated that the sharing of knowledge and expertise through these interactions will create research programs that are innovative and highly productive. And finally, as my first year as the Corinne Boyer Chair was drawing to a close, I was invited to participate in the Gynecologic Oncology Progress Review Group sponsored by the National Cancer Institute in the U.S. About 120 physicians, scientists and advocates met in Washington to assess the current limitations of treatment and care for gynecologic oncology patients, identify strengths and weaknesses and thereby prioritize areas of research that require particularly concerted effort (and therefore funding) during the next few years. It was exceedingly gratifying, given the resources and initiatives that we have developed during the past year, to hear repeatedly the two most pressing needs identified by those present: a tumour bank with associated patient information and improved experimental models for testing of therapeutic and preventive strategies. Suddenly, our achievements during the past 12 months had taken on much greater significance. As I consider what has been accomplished so far in my role as Corinne Boyer Chair, I think it can be best described as "setting the stage". Networks that are vital for maximizing progress without duplication have been established locally, nationally and internationally. Research priorities have been identified, and numerous investigators are already taking advantage of our newly-developed resources. The base of research in ovarian cancer in Canada is expanding rapidly, and from that will come discoveries that have the potential to improve our ability to prevent, diagnose and treat ovarian cancer. Now all I can hope for is another invitation from Grete about a year from now so that I can once again reminisce in her glorious garden about the accomplishments that we will be sure to make in the coming year. Barbara Vanderhyden Corinne Boyer Chair in Ovarian Cancer Research University of Ottawa July 26, 2001