Gynecology Oncology Research

Graham Cancer Center gynecologic oncologists are collaborating with a research team at Wistar’s Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis Program focusing on new plasma and tissue biomarkers to improve early diagnosis and clinical management of epithelial ovarian cancer. Philanthropic support will allow researchers to translate this bench research into new therapies and biomarkers used at the patient’s bedside.

More than 22,000 women will be newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year. Notoriously difficult to detect, ovarian cancer is typically not diagnosed until it has reached an advanced stage. Under the expert guidance of gynecologic oncologists Mark Borowsky, M.D., Mark Cadungog, M.D., and Stephanie Jean, M.D., ChristianaCare’s Translational Cancer Research Program in ovarian cancer is focused on advancing research in ways to identify targets that will outsmart ovarian cancers on a molecular and personalized level. Previous philanthropic support has allowed us to jump-start the program by creating a biorepository of diverse tissue samples for basic bench research. Through tumor molecular profiling and DNA sequencing, the researchers are able to identify and understand different mutations, leading to new treatment options and earlier detection options.