DETECT
(Discovery and Evaluation of Endometrial (and Ovarian) Cancer in Tampons)

Collaboration with the NIH

  • Goal: Develop a self-applicable screening method for endometrial cancer (and ovarian cancer as of fall 2023) through the discovery of relevant biomarkers
  • Who can participate: Ages 18 or older receiving a hysterectomy or removal of ovaries and fallopian tubes
  • Primary Objective: Discover the biomarkers from self-collected vaginal tampon specimens for endometrial cancer and to assess clinical and epidemiologic risk factors associated with endometrial cancer

PRECiSE

  • Goal: Assessing the predictive capability of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a screening tool for ovarian cancer
  • Who can participate: Patients with BRCA1/2. BRIP1, RAD51C, RAD51D, MSH2, MLH1, MSH6, PMS2, or EPCAM mutation and undergoing risk-reducing surgery OR suspected primary ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer and undergoing surgery
  • Primary Objective: Assessing the capability of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from standard blood draws as a screening tool for OVCA

Cervical SPORE Program

Collaboration with Johns Hopkins

  • Goal: Develop innovative vaccines that enhance treatment outcomes for individuals with HPV-related cervical cancer and its precursors
  • Who can participate: Patients with a diagnosis of cervical cancer
  • Primary Objective: To collect biospecimen from cervical cancer patients for biomarker studies

SISTER
(Social Interventions for Support during Treatment for Endometrial Cancer and Recurrence): a multi-site randomized control trial

Collaboration with University of Washington

  • Goal: A prospective, open label, randomized controlled trial of social interventions to support Black people with high-risk endometrial cancer recommended for adjuvant treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy and/or immunotherapy
  • Who can participate: Black patients with an endometrial cancer diagnosis and treatment plan that includes radiation, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy

NACT (Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Project)

Collaboration with Natera.

  • Who can participate: Patients diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer who will be receiving neoadjuvant (prior-to surgery) chemotherapy
  • Goal: To analyze the effect of chemotherapy on the patient microbiome, change in biomarkers and cancer cell composition

Arend Tissue – Translational Research Biobank

  • Who can participate: Patients who are suspected of or diagnosed with ovarian cancer and are undergoing surgery as part of their treatment
  • Goal: Collect a biospecimen from gynecologic cancer patients for current and future biomarker studies

Multi-site Collaborations

  • Several upcoming projects, including multi-site collaborations with leading institutes and IITs, as well as investigator-initiated trials, are currently in progress.