The program in Gynecologic Medical Oncology is largely involved with clinical and translational research activities. Our clinical research efforts involve developing new treatments for patients with high risk ovarian cancer, including novel first line chemotherapy regimens as well as innovative approaches to treatment of relapsed disease. Many of our clinical trials are investigator-initiated and include upfront combination chemotherapy regimens, consolidative oral chemotherapy, as well as use of novel phase I agents such as oral angiogenesis inhibitors for patients with early relapse. Our translational research efforts are centered around use of our ovarian cancer tissue bank and correlative clinical database. We are currently using this resource to define gene expression profiles predictive of chemotherapy resistance and prognostic of poor survival. These activities have resulted in a recent DF/HCC Ovarian SPORE award, of which my program is a major contributor.
Spentzos D, Levine DA, Ramoni MF, Joseph M, Gu X, Boyd J, Libermann TA, Cannistra SA. A gene expression profile with independent prognostic significance in epithelial ovarian cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2004; 22:4700-4710.
Berkenblit A, Seiden MV, Matulonis U, Penson R, Krasner C, Roche M, Mezzetti L, Atkinson T, Cannistra SA. A Phase II trial of weekly docetaxel in patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian, primary peritoneal serious cancer, or fallopian tube cancer. Gyn Oncol 2004; 95:624-631.
Kurose K, Zhou X-P, Araki T, Cannistra SA, Maher ER, Eng C. Frequent loss of PTEN expression is linked to elevated phosphorylated Akt levels, but not associated with p27 and cyclin D1 expression, in primary epithelial ovarian carcinomas. American Journal of Pathology 2001, 158:2097-2106.
Berkenblit A, Tung, N, Kim Y, Feyler H, Niloff J, Vandenberghe K, Cannistra SA. Phase I trial of docetaxel, carboplatin, and gemcitabine as first-line therapy for patients with high-risk epithelial tumors of mullerian origin. Gynecologic Oncology 2003; 89:486-493.
Spentzos D, Levine DA, Shakirahmed K, Otu H, Boyd J, Libermann TA, Cannistra SA. A unique gene expression profile based upon pathologic response in epithelial ovarian cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2005, in press.
External Recognition:
Selected Items:
1995- Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Oncology
1998 American Society of Clinical Oncology, Chair, Poster Discussion Session
1998-99 American Society of Clinical Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology Program Committee, Chair
1998- American Society of Clinical Oncology, Media Spokesperson, Tumor Biology/Gynecologic Cancer
1999- American Society of Clinical Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology Oral Session, Chair
2000- Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO)
2001 American Association for Cancer Research, Program Committee member
2006 Society of Gynecologic Oncologists Program Committee
Major Collaborative Activities:
Dr. Dimitri Spentzos, Dr. Jonathan Hecht, Dr. Michael Seiden, Dr. David Avigan, Dr. Donald Kufe.
