RE S E AR C H INITIATIVE S
NEW RESEARCH INITIATIVE: In 2014, NOCC affirmed
its commitment to research with the newest RESEARCH • IN •
ACTIONSM Initiative. In collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer, and
the American Association for Cancer Research, along with partners
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and Ovarian Cancer Research
Fund, the NOCC committed to supporting the “Ovarian Cancer
Dream Team,” the first of its kind in the history of ovarian cancer
research. This inter-disciplinary team consists of the best and
brightest scientists, researchers, and medical experts, worldwide.
Alan D’Andrea, MD, co-director of the Gene Therapy Center at Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute in Boston, and the Fuller-American Cancer Society professor of Medicine
at Harvard Medical School, will lead the Dream Team. Elizabeth M. Swisher, MD,
professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of
Washington in Seattle, will be co-leader.
The Dream Team’s area of study, a three-year endeavor beginning in July 2015, is
entitled “DNA Repair Therapies for Ovarian Cancer.” This area of focus will emphasize
the defects in DNA repair that have been identified as a common weakness in ovarian
cancer. The approach will inform the application of immunotherapy, which is treatment
that uses the body’s own immune system to help fight cancer. The team will also
emphasize prevention and early detection of the disease.
The NOCC’s commitment to fund the Dream Team is in support of the principles
associated with bringing together innovative scientists and medical experts on the
disease, with the goal of working towards improved patient outcomes that can save
lives now. The NOCC is thrilled to be funding this landmark research venture, and the
promise of leading-edge, ovarian cancer research.
OTHER RESEARCH INITIATIVES: Some of the recent research projects supported
by the NOCC have included the Ann Schreiber Ovarian Cancer Research Training Program of
Excellence: A Study by Dr. Ruth Perets, M.D., Ph.D., about the fallopian tubes as the origin of
ovarian cancer, and the GOG-0225, also known as the LIvES Study (Lifestyle Intervention for
Ovarian Cancer Enhanced Survival), conducted by the University of Arizona Cancer Center.
7