Treating ovarian cancer: New pathways through genetics

A new discovery that sheds light on the genetic make up of ovarian cancer cells could explain why some women survive longer than others with this deadly disease. A multi-disciplinary team led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI MUHC), in collaboration with the Lady Davis Institute of the Jewish General Hospital and the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, has identified genetic patterns in ovarian cancer tumours that help to differentiate patients based on the length of their survival after initial surgery. The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE.

“We discovered genetic differences in the tumours from ovarian cancer patients that relate to their short-term and overall response to standard treatment,” explained Dr. Patricia Tonin, the study’s lead author and a cancer researcher at the RI MUHC and Associate Professor of the Department of Medicine at McGill University. “Using these genetic ‘tools’ to examine the tumours removed in the initial surgery, we may be able to offer alternative therapeutic options to women to improve their outcome.”

“Biology is showing us which direction to take,” enthused Dr. Tonin. “This unique finding paves the way for identifying the pathways involved in cancer progression, leading to the development of alternative therapies and therefore helping to reduce morbidity and mortality in women fighting the disease”.

Click here to access the study online

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0045484