OC Genetics in the News

A few days ago the results of a very large study was published. The study  by the Collaborative Oncological Gene-Environment Study (COGS) involved over 200,000 participants and hundreds of researchers from around the world. Here is a link to the overview article in Nature. It looked at the genetic markers for breast, prostate and ovarian cancer. The study was reported in 13 articles in 5 journals but I concentrated on finding just the ovarian report. 
  
I searched online and found the article "GWAS meta-analysis and replication identifies three new susceptibility loci for ovarian cancer" in Nature Genetics. I looked through the researcher names and out popped Dr Lorna Rodriguez-Rodriguez. I was thrilled to read that one of my gynecologic oncologists at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey was involved in the research. I allowed my tumor to be studied for the clinical trial I participated in so I wonder if my tumor was part of this large genetic analysis.  I'll have to ask Dr R the next time I see her. 

In a nutshell the Genome Wide Association Study (GWAS) found 4 locations in the DNA that were susceptible for epithelial ovarian cancer. All of the locations were associated with the serous type of epithelial Ovarian Cancer ( EOC) . In the discussion of the results the researchers report: 
"Molecular analyses of genes at these loci ( Location of a gene), combining publicly available data sets and systematic, large-scale experiments, point to a small number of candidate gene targets that may have a role in EOC initiation and development. However, the effects of the new susceptibility loci were modest, and together they explain less than 1% of the excess familial risk of EOC, with about 4% being explained by all known loci with common susceptibility alleles. " (An allele is one of two versions of a  gene.)

"Fewer common susceptibility loci have now been found for EOC than for several other common cancers, including breast, colorectal and prostate cancers²⁸. It seems unlikely that the underlying genetic architecture for EOC susceptibility is substantially different from those of other cancers. This suggests that a key factor limiting our ability to detect susceptibility loci is sample size—the power of this study to detect risk alleles across a range of effect sizes was modest (Supplementary Fig. 12). However, EOC is less common than these other cancers and has a higher mortality rate, and recruiting extremely high numbers of cases will be difficult."

The more tumor samples researchers can examine  the more we can learn about how epithelial ovarian cancer develops. Now is the time for more women with all types of ovarian cancer to allow their tumor cells be used for studies like this one. 

I've given my tumor tissue to research . Will you?

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing  

OC Awareness #21 - HIgh Grade Serous subtypes

The article

Profiles of genomic instability in high-grade serous ovarian cancer predict treatment outcome

appeared in a recent issue of Clinical Cancer Research. Researchers at Dana Farber using a process called single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays were able to examine single units in the genetic code of tumor cells of high grade serous ovarian cancer ( HGSOC) . HGSOC cells have many genetic abnormalities including missing or extra chromosomes and  On examination the HGSOC fell into three groups based on abnormalities or loss of heterozygosity ( LOH). (Heterozygosity is having dissimilar pairs of genes.) One group had a high level of LOH and a loss of chromosome 13. The researchers found that patients in this group were slow to develop resistance to chemotherapy drugs and also were found to have the longest progression free survival.

A good review of the study can be found at
http://www.healthcanal.com/cancers/32333-Researchers-identify-three-subtypes-high-grade-serous-ovarian-cancer.html

Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

In The News: Social Influences, Germline mutations and OCNA Conference materials

There were a few interesting research reports release the past week or so.

Social Influences on Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Ovarian Cancer
This research appeared in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.  The lead researchers were from the University of Iowa but included doctors from different institutions throughout the country. In this prospective study ( women were recruited for the study and followed ) they  looked at the relationship between support and long term survival among women with epithelial ovarian cancer. One hundred sixty eight patients were recruited for the study.  The statistical model used to analyze the data took into account stage, grade, histology and age .

Conclusion: Greater social support was associated with a lower likelihood of death. Fifty-nine percent of  women with a high level of social support were found to survive 4.70 years while those with minimal support survived a median of 3.35 years.

My Take: I find this study intriguing.  I would like to see this study done with a larger population


Germline BRA1 and BRCA2 Mutations in Ovarian Cancer:Utiltiy of a Histology-Based Referral strategy 

This Canadian Study ran from 2004 to 2009 and will be published in an upcoming issue of  Obstetrics and Gynecology.  The study recruited women with nonmucinous epithelial ovarian cancer , fallopian or primary peritoneal cancers and asked them to bank their tumors and receive genetic counseling. Family history was taken for each patient. One hundred thirty-one women participated. BRCA 1 and 2 mutations were found in twenty percent of the women and exclusively in women with high grade serous histology.

Conclusion: Germline mutations are associated with high-grade serous histology.  This suggests that all women with high grade serous ovarian cancer have genetic testing. This will improve detection rates and mutation carriers will be found that would not be found if only family history of breast and ovarian cancer is used.

My Take: Since the treatment of ovarian cancer for those with BRCA mutations can vary from those without the mutations this study strengthens the call for genetic testing of all women with high grade serous ovarian cancer.

OCNA Conference
The OCNA conference took place in early July in Washington ,DC.
Here is a link to the conference materials which include a number of interesting presentations related to research and treatment.


Dee
Every Day is a Blessing!

ASCO - the End Part I

It has been a very hectic, tiring past few days but I am so happy I have been able to attend so many interesting sessions here at ASCO.

After having breakfast with fellow advocates Sharon and Susan I checked out of the hotel and headed back down to McCormick Place. First stop ? Another poster session, this time on cancer prevention and epidemiology.

I had a wonderful conversation with a researcher from Memorial Sloan Kettering who presented data from a study( poster 1509) looking at testing women with high grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer for BRCA mutations. Of 79 patients with no family history of breast or ovarian cancer 19% had a detectable BRCA1 or 2 mutation. The study concluded that the number of mutations identified supports current recommendations that it is reasonable to consider genetic testing for any woman with high grade serious epithelial ovarian cancer.

Then I strolled to a session called Assessing Patients Psychosocial Needs : How to Do this In Your Busy Schedule. After a review of the risks of emotional issues for survivors, the use of the Depression Thermometer as a tool to determine psychosocial problems was discussed. Many oncology practices do not ask questions about how a survivor “feels “ emotionally. So the speaker recommended that patients be asked how they feel along with assessing their pain, temperature, & blood pressure when they come in for a visit. Use of the DT was suggested as a way to gather that information.

When that session finished I went into the exhibit hall where there were over 220 exhibitors.I decided to do a bit of personal research so that I could better understand how vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors, Sorafenib ( Nexavar) by Bayer and Bevacizumab ( Avastin) by Genentech, work. Avastin is a monoclonal antibody that binds to the VEGF released by the cancer cells . Today I learned that Sorafenib is a small molecule inhibitor which blocks kinase proteins from signaling the cell to create the molecules it needs create the blood vessels. .

Before I knew it the day was over! Time to say goodbye to some very remarkable people, my new friends, the scholars of the Focus on Research Program.

Part II tomorrow.

Dee

Every Day is a Blessing! What a blessing it has been to be a participant in this program.