In advance of World Ovarian Cancer Day, Inova Celebrates Receipt of Phase II Funding for the Consortium for Long-Term Survival from the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program

Inova partners with coordinating center Massachusetts General Hospital and 14 other institutions to increase long-term survival rates for ovarian cancer patients.

FALLS CHURCH, VA – May 6, 2016 – The Inova Schar Cancer Institute announces today, coinciding with World Ovarian Cancer Day, that the Consortium for Long-Term Survival has received Phase II funding. The consortium, co-led by Michael Birrer M.D. / Ph.D., Director of the Gillette Center for Gynecologic Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Lari Wenzel, Ph.D., Professor of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, is focused on finding the “key” to long-term survival from ovarian cancer through systemic analysis of tumor genomics and immunology integrated with clinical and quality of life data from patients who survived more than 10 years following a diagnosis of advanced stage ovarian cancer; a malignancy from which very rarely patients can reach a five-year survival.

The consortium includes active collaboration of seven different research sites across the United States and Europe as well as the active support from 11 patient advocates representing 11 partnering foundations that support patients with ovarian cancer and leverages the resources of the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) from the NRG Oncology Foundation. Thomas Conrads, PhD, (Associate Director of Scientific Technologies, Inova Schar Cancer Institute) and Larry Maxwell, MD, (Associate Director of Translational Research, Inova Schar Cancer Institute) are key contributors to the consortium.

“Inova is proud to be a part of this ground-breaking and life-changing work. Inova’s commitment to genomics and proteomics in translational cancer research will further empower the consortium’s analytical capacity,” said Dr. Conrads.

Dr. Maxwell added, “Too many women die way too soon from ovarian cancer and we know very little about the characteristics of tumors in those rare patients who beat this disease. Dr. Conrads and I are committed to understanding the factors that influence long-term survival of ovarian cancer patients and developing therapies and interventions that help patients live longer.”

The consortium partners with several groups to seek input, advice and expertise, including the Gynecologic Oncology Group, founded in 1970 to promote excellence in quality and integrity of clinical and basic scientific research in the field of gynecologic malignancies, patient advocates, and national and international scientific boards.

The broad geographical expansion of the consortium, combined with its interdisciplinary scientific expertise and extensive patient involvement, represents a unique setting to understand the nature of ovarian cancer and identify factors that allow for longer survival and better survivorship. Through this consortium, Inova hopes to contribute to the treatment, prediction and prevention of this complex and devastating disease.

Media Contact: Kelly Schlageter, kelly.schlageter@inova.org, 703-205-2221