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Abstract. The serum level of ß1,4-galactosyltransferase (ß1,4-GalT) is increased in both malignancy and benign diseases. Galactosyltransferase associated with tumor (GAT) is one of the soluble forms of ß1,4-GalT, and is a marker of ovarian cancer with a high specificity. GAT and normal soluble ß1,4-GalT are both derived from the same membrane-bound form of the enzyme. This study investigated the mechanism of GAT elevation in patients with ovarian cancer . The serum levels of GAT and normal ß1,4-GalT were measured using specific monoclonal antibodies. In addition, nude mice bearing human ovarian cancer were used to assess the kinetics of tumor-derived enzymes. GAT and normal ß1,4-GalT were both detected in ovarian cancer patients, but only GAT reflected the tumor status. In tumor-bearing nude mice, both soluble forms of ß1,4-GalT were released from tumor cells, but the ...

Abstract. The field of gene therapy presents exciting new opportunities for advances in the management of ovarian cancer . Clinical trials of gene therapy for ovarian cancer have explored the feasibility of delivering a variety of agents as well as highlighted problems with the delivery of therapeutic constructs. Major challenges include enhancing gene trans- fection with improved vectors, minimizing immunogenicity of viral vectors via novel molecular alterations, effecting tumor-selective gene delivery by targeting genetic alterations present only in tumor cells and utilizing tissue-specific promoters for selective transcription of gene products. Gene therapy research presents unique opportunities for extending the spectrum of ovarian cancer treatment possibilities, either alone or in combination with conventional chemotherapy regimens. Contents 1. Introduction ...

Funded by the NIH • Developed at the University of Washington, Seattle BRCA1 and BRCA2 Hereditary Breast/ Ovarian Cancer Authors: Julie Bars Culver, MS; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Judith Hull, MS; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York Ephrat Levy-Lahad, MD; Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Tel Aviv Mary Daly, MD, PhD; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia Wylie Burke, MD, PhD; University of Washington, Seattle Posted: 4 March 2000 Summary Mutations in and are characterized by predisposition to breast cancer and ovarian cancer as well as prostate cancer , colon cancer ( ), and other cancers ( ). The risk of developing cancer that is associated with and cancer -predisposing mutations is not known and appears to be variable even within families of similar ethnic background ...

Surgery for Elderly Patients with Ovarian Cancer Martin G.A. Bäuerle, Rolf Kreienberg, MD, and Tanja Volm, MD Address Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 43, 89075 Ulm, Germany. E-mail: martin.baeuerle@medizin.uni-ulm.de Current Women’s Health Reports 2003, 3: 39 –42 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534-5874 Copyright © 2003 by Current Science Inc. Introduction In Germany, approximately 8000 women develop epithe- lial ovarian cancer each year. This is also the case in the United States and other industrialized nations, except in Japan, where incidence is lower. Worldwide, 5% of all malignancies in females are ovarian cancer [1]. Epithelial ovarian cancer is the second most frequent gynecologic malignancy after endometrial cancer and has the poorest prognosis among them. With 6000 deaths ...

Therapy for Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Walther C. Kuhn, MD Address Universitäts-Frauenklinik Bonn, Sigmund Freud Strasse 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany. E-mail: walther.kuhn@ukb.uni-bonn.de Current Women’s Health Reports 2003, 3: 33 –38 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534–5874 Copyright © 2003 by Current Science Inc. Introduction The primary treatment for advanced ovarian cancer is standardized, well established, and generally accepted by gynecologic oncologists. The combination of complete tumor resection or at least maximally possible tumor reduction followed by platinum- and taxane-based chemo- therapy has led to a significant improvement of treatment results in recent years [1–4,5•]. In contrast, the treatment of early-stage International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO I) ovarian cancer , defined as tumor extent limited to the ...

Ovarian Cancer Associated with Inherited Mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 Elizabeth Swisher, MD Address Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific, Box 356460, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. E-mail: swishere@u.washington.edu Current Women’s Health Reports 2003, 3: 27 –32 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534-5874 Copyright © 2003 by Current Science Inc. Introduction Approximately 10% of ovarian cancers occur in women with an inherited cancer predisposition. Most of these women have a family history of breast and ovarian cancers and carry a germline mutation in one of the breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2 . Linkage studies, in the early 1990s, of families with several members with breast or ovarian cancers pointed to the existence of at least two tumor suppressor genes. ...

Chemotherapy in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Jing Wang, MD, Andrew J. Li, MD, and Beth Y. Karlan, MD Address Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, UCLA School of Medicine, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, #160W, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA. E-mail: Karlanb@cshs.org Current Women’s Health Reports 2002, 2: 20 –26 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534–5874 Copyright © 2002 by Current Science Inc. Introduction The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 23,400 new cases of ovarian cancer in 2001 and that 13,900 women will die of the disease. In the United States, epithelial ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all the gyne- cologic cancers, in part because of the advanced stage typically seen at initial presentation and diagnosis [1]. More than two thirds of ovarian cancer patients present with ...

Familial Ovarian Cancer Tanja Volm, MD Address Universitäts-Frauenklinik Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 43, 89075 Ulm, Germany. E-mail: tanja.volm@medizin.uni-ulm.de Current Women’s Health Reports 2002, 2: 34 –38 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534-5874 Copyright © 2002 by Current Science Inc. Introduction Family history is the greatest risk factor for ovarian cancer The lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer is 1.4% in the western world, which means that one in 70 women will get the disease [1]. The single greatest risk factor for ovarian cancer is a family history of disease. If a woman has a first- degree relative with ovarian cancer , her relative risk for getting ovarian cancer is 3.6; if she has a second-degree relative, the relative risk is 2.9 [1]. In a 1998 systematic review and meta-analysis that included ...

Gene Therapy of Ovarian Cancer Thomas Bauknecht, MD and Ivo Meinhold-Heerlein, PhD Address Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Bonn Medical School, Sigmund-Freud-Strasse 25, D-53105 Bonn, Germany. E-mail: t.bauknecht@uni-bonn.de Current Women’s Health Reports 2002, 2: 39 –46 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534–5874 Copyright © 2002 by Current Science Inc. Introduction Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among all gynecologic malignancies. Due to the lack of effective prevention or screening methods, most patients are diag- nosed with advanced stage diseases (FIGO stage III/IV). Although advances in surgical techniques and the intro- duction of taxane-containing chemotherapy increased the rate of therapy responders (as high as 80%), the 5-year survival rate is still less than 30%. Most tumors recur and develop resistance ...

Genetic Counseling, Testing, and Screening for Breast and Ovarian Cancer : Practical and Social Considerations Dineo Khabele, MD and Carolyn D. Runowicz, MD Address Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1695 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. Email: dkhabele@montefiore.org Current Women’s Health Reports 2002, 2: 163 –169 Current Science Inc. ISSN 1534-5874 Copyright © 2002 by Current Science Inc. Introduction Current knowledge regarding specific mechanisms of car- cinogenesis is evolving at a rapid rate in an era of genomics and high-throughput technologies. Multiple molecular events are implicated in the development of cancer . Genetic counseling and screening for breast and ovarian cancer in this context is complicated, and necessitates an understanding, not only of the rapidly changing science, but also of statistics, analysis ...

Int. J. Med. Sci. 2004 1(2): 116-125 116 International Journal of Medical Sciences ISSN 1449-1907 www.medsci.org ©2004 Ivyspring International Publisher. All rights reserved A Randomized Study of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer : Is Chemotherapy Useful after Complete Remission? Research paper Received: 2004.3.23 Accepted: 2004.5.17 M.O. Nicoletto, S. Tumolo, C. Falci, M. Donach, E. Visonà, A. Rosabian, O. Nascimben, G.P. Cima, O. Vinante, P. Azzoni, M.V. Fiorentino GOCCNE Group (Gruppo Oncologico Cooperativo Clinico Nord-Est ovaio), Padua, Italy A A b b s s t t r r a a c c t t Objective . The aim of this study is to verify whether consolidation chemotherapy with Cisplatin improves disease-free survival and/or overall survival in patients affected by epithelial ovarian cancer . ...

Promotional/Educational Materials Order Form “Maintain Your Gynecologic Health with Education Please send me __ copies each & Early Detection” Brochure (English/Spanish) Circle one. Ovarian Cancer National Resource List Brochure Please send me __ copies each (English/Spanish) Circle one. “Beating The Odds” Brochure Please send me __ copies each Ad Slick Promoting 1/800-444-4441 Information Hotline (8.5” x 11”) Please send me __ copies each Ad Slick Featuring The Talk Show Hosts of The View (8.5” x 11”) Please send me __ copies each Poster Featuring The Talk Show Hosts of The View (16 x 14) Please send me __ copies each Tent Card Featuring Miss USA/Miss USA Ad Slick Please send me __ copies each Cervical Cancer Screening Tent Card Please send me __ copies each Women’s Cancer Network ...

Corporate Medical Policy Genetic Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer File Name: genetic_testing_for_breast_and_ovarian_cancer Policy Number: MED1170 Origination: 8/1997 Last Review: 10/2003 Next Review: 10/2005 Description of Procedure or Service Genetic testing for breast and/or ovarian cancer is used to detect genetic mutations of the BRCA1 and the BRCA2 gene. This test is used for a patient who has had no symptoms, but who may be predisposed to breast and/or ovarian cancer through heredity . Families at risk of having hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer may exhibit the following characteristics: ? breast or ovarian cancer occurs at an early age; ? breast or ovarian cancer occurs in multiple generations; ? breast or ovarian cancer often ...

Corporate Medical Policy Oophorectomy, Prophylactic for Ovarian Cancer File Name: oophorectomy_prophylactic_for_ovarian_cancer Policy Number: SUR6480 Origination: 11/1995 Last Review: 8/2003 Next Review: 8/2005 Active policy, no longer scheduled for routine literature review. Description of Procedure or Service Prophylactic oophorectomy is the surgical removal of both ovaries to prevent the development of ovarian cancer in women who are at high risk for the disease. Policy Active policy, no longer scheduled for routine literature review. BCBSNC will provide coverage for Oophorectomy, Prophylactic for Ovarian Cancer when it is deter- mined to be medically necessary because the medical criteria and guidelines shown below are met. Benefits Application Please refer to certificate for availability ...

Corporate Medical Policy Bone Marrow Transplant for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer File Name: bone_marrow_transplant_for_epithelial_ovarian_cancer Policy Number: SUR6090.10 Origination: 2/2001 Last Review: 2/2003 Next Review: 2/2005 Description of Procedure or Service "High-dose chemotherapy" (HDC) involves the administration of cytotoxic agents for the treatment of can- cer. It uses doses several times greater than the standard therapeutic dose. In some cases, whole body or localized radiotherapy is also given and is included in the term HDC. The rationale for HDC is that many cytotoxic agents act according to a steep dose-response curve . Thus, small increments in dosage will result in relatively large increases in tumor cell kill. Increasing the dosage also increases the incidence and severity of adverse effects related primarily ...

Comprehensive information on Breast Cancer , including: ¦ Information on diagnosis ¦ Staging and treatment ¦ Tips to manage your treatment Understanding and Managing Ovarian Cancer Comprehensive information on Ovarian Cancer , including: ¦ Information on diagnosis ¦ Staging and treatment ¦ Tips to manage your treatment Page 2 Page 3 2 Understanding Ovarian Cancer 2 Ovarian cancer is cancer that begins in the ovaries. In general, ovarian tumors are named according to the kind of cells the tumor started from and whether the tumor is benign or cancerous. There are three main types of ovarian tumors. Epithelial tumors start from cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary. Germ cell tumors start ...

For more information about any of CancerCare’s services Visit our website at www.cancercare.org or call 1-800-813-HOPE (4673) Telephone Support Group for Women with Ovarian Cancer Cancer Care is currently planning a national support group for women with ovarian cancer which will meet on the telephone, free of charge. Telephone support groups can be an important source of support and they are easily accessible for most everyone. For patients living in rural areas, patients who have limited mobility, or people with cancer who are working and unable to attend group meetings, this is particularly helpful. These groups meet and are facilitated through the telephone by a professional oncology social worker. This group will provide the opportunity to: 1) share common concerns; 2) give and receive emotional support; 3) feel more connected with others who are encountering ...

D105 Aberrant methylation at pro-apoptotic genes in ovarian cancer is associated with clinical outcome Jens Teodoridis, Gillian Gifford, Jorge Curto-Garcia, Jim Paul, Paul Vasey, Gordon Strathdee and Robert Brown CRUK Beatson Laboratories, Glasgow University We have examined whether genes involved in response of cells to DNA damage can become aberrantly methylated in stage III/IV epithelial ovarian tumours and whether this can predict clinical outcome. We grouped the genes depending on their function (DNA repair, cell cycle control, apoptosis and all) and determined whether methylation was associated with progression-free survival of patients following chemotherapy. Overall, 61% of tumours showed methylation of at least one of the 16 genes examined. Of the four groups of genes examined, only methylation of the pro-apoptotic genes was significantly associated with poor progression-free ...

1 Dr Martin Oehler, MD PhD has commenced as the National Australia Bank Research Fellow with the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation . Martin will continue the Foundation’s ovarian cancer research to find an early detection test for this disease. Born and educated in Germany, Dr Oehler’s extensive research and medical career includes postdoctoral positions at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, USA and at the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Oxford, UK. In Australia, Dr Oehler has embarked upon a Fellowship specialising in gynaecological oncology and com- pleted his first year as a Clinical Fellow in the Department of Gyn- aecological Oncology at Westmead Hospital in Sydney. Having published 40 papers in the fields of gynaecology and cancer research, Dr Oehler brings a wealth of expertise to ...

Ovarian Cancer in the Domestic Hen: A Model for Ovarian Cancer in Humans? Ovarian Cancer in the Domestic Ovarian Cancer in the Domestic Hen: A Model for Ovarian Hen: A Model for Ovarian Cancer in Humans? Cancer in Humans? H. John Barnes H. John Barnes College of Veterinary Medicine College of Veterinary Medicine North Carolina State University North Carolina State University Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Page 2 Acknowl Acknowl edgements: edgements: Duke Medical Center, Duke Medical Center, Ob Ob - - Gyn Gyn Oncology Oncology © © Dr. Gustavo Rodriguez Dr. Gustavo Rodriguez ...

P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y A N N E L L I O T T C U T T I N G C A N C E R I S C R U E L LY undemocratic: Some forms are relatively easy to beat, while others are just shy of a death sentence. For women, ovarian cancer lands in the killer category. Although experts already know how to conquer it—if they find it soon enough, it’s treatable and beatable—early detection is all but impossible. But that might be about to change. A new test that shows promise in detecting ovarian cancer at a curable stage should be available by year’s end. The test looks for a telltale fin- gerprint, or protein pattern, in your blood. Find that fingerprint early enough, and it could save your life. Find out you don’t have it, and you could receive S E C T I O N 2 DECEMBER 2003 h e a l t h 35 The latest ...

Fox Chase Cancer Center 2003 Scientific Report 1 The Destruction of an Epithelium: Molecu- lar Events in the Morphological Transfor- mation and Tumorigenicity of Ovarian Surface Epithelium. Roland, Cai, W.L. Yang, D.H. Yang, Xu, in collaboration with Wu, § Hamilton, § Godwin, § Patriotis, § Testa, § Cohen, a Liu b We view cancer as an aberrant form of develop- ment, and intend to understand cancer at the molecular level of the morphological and pheno- typical details. The single cell layer of ovarian surface epithelial cells is positionally organized by a sheet of basement membrane; however, in carcinomas this positional control is absent, per- mitting disorganized cell proliferation. We have analyzed pre-neoplastic lesions bordering mor- ...

Fox Chase Cancer Center 2003 Scientific Report 1 Epidemiological and experimental data support the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox-2), as chemopreventive agents in a number of epithelial cancers, including those of the colon, breast, esophagus, lung, oral cavity, and ovary. In general, it has been suggested that the inhibitors limit Cox-2- catalyzed production of prostaglandins, which may affect cell proliferation, apoptosis, anti- inflammatory responses, and angiogenesis. Based on our recent observations in ovarian tumors and from studies in animal models, we propose a new mechanism for the chemopre- ventive activity of Cox-2 inhibitors in epithelial cancers, related to the integrity of the epithelial Robert F. Ozols, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Member, Senior Vice President, Medical ...

ovarian cancer Ovarian Cancer Amreen Husain, MD Assistant Professor Gynecologic Oncology Ovarian cancer 25,000 cases annually 1/70 American women 14,000 deaths annually 4th in cancer related deaths among women Mean age at diagnosis 59 yrs Risk factors Family history: One 1° relative 3.6 times risk, or 5% lifetime risk. 5- 10% of all ovarian cancers associated with known gene mutations. Three familial ovarian cancer syndromes: site-specific ovarian cancer , breast/ ovarian cancer syndrome, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer syndrome. BRCA1/2 Associated with site specific and breast/ ovarian cancer syndromes. BRCA1: 25-40% lifetime risk of Ov ca, 80% lifetime risk of Breast Ca BRCA2 : 10% lifetime risk of ov Ca Early age-onset, 10yrs ...

Abstract. YKL-40 (human cartilage glycoprotein-39) is a member of family 18 glycosyl hydrolases. YKL-40 is a growth factor and is secreted by cancer cells. High serum levels of YKL-40 in patients with colorectal cancer and recurrent metastatic breast cancer have been associated with a poor prognosis. We evaluated the prognostic value of plasma YKL-40 in patients with primary ovarian cancer (OC). YKL-40 was determined by ELISA in plasma obtained preoperatively from 47 women with stage III OC and in plasma from 79 healthy females. The results showed that plasma YKL-40 was elevated compared to healthy females in 57% of the OC patients and was highest in the patients who died during the follow-up compared to the patients still alive (186 vs. 78 µ g/l, p=0.002). Patients with high plasma YKL-40 (>130 µ g/l) had significantly (p=0.0003) shorter survival ...

MJA Vol 178 16 June 2003 655 CANCER SCREENING The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025-729X 16 June 2003 178 12 655-656 ©The Medical Journal of Australia 2003 www.mja.com.au Cancer screening E PITHELIAL OVARIAN MALIGNANCIES occur in over 1000 Australian women annually, and more than 75% of these women eventually succumb to the disease. 1 Women with early-stage ovarian cancer have a 5-year survival rate of over 80%, suggesting that early detection may improve survival. To date, it has not been established whether benign (assessed histologically as non-invasive) or borderline ovarian tumours are premalignant. In the absence of a precancerous lesion, the goal of screening is the detection of preclinical disease. Screening tests A number of screening tests have been evaluated or ...

4 MJA Vol 177 1 July 2002 EDITORIALS The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025-729X 1 July 2002 177 1 4-4 ©The Medical Journal of Australia 2002 www.mja.com.au Editorials A good screening tool seems to offer the best hope, but meanwhile best possible care includes definitive staging and surgery by experienced specialist teams O VARIAN CANCER is the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancer in Australia, and indeed most West- ern countries. In the absence of effective primary prevention strategies and screening for early disease, the best possible management of patients with suspected or established ovar- ian cancer assumes critical importance if inroads are to be made in reducing morbidity and mortality from this disease. In this issue of the Journal ( page 11 ), Grossi et al have reviewed the management of women ...

MJA Vol 177 1 July 2002 11 RESEARCH The Medical Journal of Australia ISSN: 0025-729X 1 July 2002 177 1 11-16 ©The Medical Journal of Australia 2002 www.mja.com.au Research I N V ICTORIA , OVARIAN CANCER is the sixth most common cancer in women, with an age-standardised incidence and mortality of 11.8 and 5.4 cases per 100 000 women, respectively. 1 The reported five-year survival for early- stage disease ranges from 50%–90%, and for late-stage disease from 55%– 20%. 2,3 The prognosis is worse in older women, those with advanced stage, ascites and poorly differentiated tumours or clear-cell adenocarcinoma. Poor prognoses are also associated with preoperative tumour rupture and dense adherence in early-stage disease, and ...

E DITORIALS Managing ovarian cancer Anthony M Proietto 4 Can we improve pain management in nursing homes? Pamela S Melding 5 Endometriosis Kevin L Forbes 6 A medical school for the Australian National University Paul A Gatenby, Nicholas J Glasgow 8 R ESEARCH Ovarian cancer : patterns of care in Victoria during 1993–1995 Marisa Grossi, Michael A Quinn, Vicky J Thursfield, Prudence A Francis, Robert M Rome, Robert S Planner, Graham G Giles 11 Prevalence of pain among nursing home residents in rural New South Wales William J McClean, Nick H Higginbotham 17 Use of medication by young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Michael G Sawyer, Joseph M Rey, Brian W Graetz, Jennifer J Clark, Peter A ...

Dare to Dream for Ovarian Cancer œ — Many s ay we can‘ t do this - Ovarian Cancer does not have the Survivours to accompl is h this tas k“ J oin Dave Whitl ock & the Whitl ock Motors ports Team and —Dare to Dream with us“ Mail to: Sandi Pniauskas National Coordinator Dare to Dream f or Ovarian Cancer 117 Gl en Hil l Drive Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1N 6Z8 Encl os ed is my gift of _ x $39. 00 = $__ or other =$__ in s upport of Ovarian Cancer : Ovarian Cancer Res earch Ovarian Cancer Patient Education Ovarian Cancer Patient Support Ovarian Cancer other: __ A tax receipt wil l be is s ued for amounts dependent ...