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In This Issue:
Women’s Cancer Targeted
A prestigious grant of $11 million over four-and-a-half years has been awarded to BWH and the Dana-Farber/ Harvard Cancer Center for a broad program with the mission of lowering ovarian cancer deaths.
The National Cancer Institute grant, known as a Specialized Project of Research Excellence, or SPORE, funds multi-directional research projects simultaneously focusing on clinical and basic research.
“This is a very important grant because it funds research into the leading cause of death from gynecologic cancer,” says Daniel Cramer, MD, principal investigator for the collaborative project that will involve clinicians and researchers from BWH, Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Public Health, MGH, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, the National Cancer Center in Maryland and Roswell Park Cancer Institute in New York. “This grant recognizes the expertise of our investigators and their ongoing contributions to the field of ovarian cancer research. It is a very strong commitment to improving the lives of women.”
Cramer, co-director of the Familial Ovarian Cancer Clinic at BWH and DFCI, is a leader in the field, having identified many potential risk factors for ovarian cancer. His research identified the use of talc in women’s personal hygiene, caffeine consumption, and increased body weight as factors increasing risk and dietary antioxidants and analgesic/anti-inflammatory medication use as factors decreasing risk.
Beginning August 1, researchers will focus on five projects aimed at addressing prevention, early detection and treatment of ovarian cancer, including:
In addition to these specific projects, the Ovarian Cancer SPORE will seek to advance research by funding career development and novel projects by new investigators.
“The BWH Ovarian Cancer SPORE is an important National Institutes of Health initiative supporting the development of a more thorough understanding of the causes of this silent killer that affects about 1.5 percent of women in the United States,” said Robert Barbieri, MD, chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “I expect that within the next five to 10 years, new medical breakthroughs will reduce the mortality associated with this disease. It is very exciting for BWH to be on the forefront of this effort, building on our past successes and working towards better understanding and treatment of ovarian cancer.”