WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE CANCERS Women’s reproductive cancers (including ovarian, endometrial, uterine, and cervical) are massively underfunded given their deadly toll, and as a result, remain particularly challenging to treat. Over
in the 100,000 women United States are diagnosed each year, and
32,000 Over
women die annually from them
Taking into account incidence and mortality,
ovarian cancer receives
19x less funding than prostate cancer
70%
of ovarian cancer patients are diagnosed at late stages, and these patients have a
29.2%
5-year survival rate
NYSCF Women’s Reproductive Cancers Initiative driving a new paradigm in how these cancers are studied and treated We are creating personalized models of cancer to capture the uniqueness of each patient’s disease from their own cells, helping us design targeted and effective therapies.
Guiding this Initiative is a Scientific Advisory Board of world-leading cancer physicians and researchers. Current members include: Michael Birrer, MD, PhD
Carol Aghajanian, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Ronny Drapkin, MD, PhD
Susan M. Domchek, MD
University of Pennsylvania
Carla Grandori, MD, PhD
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
SEngine Precision Medicine
Kathleen Moore, MD University of Oklahoma
Elizabeth M. Swisher, MD University of Washington
Carl June, MD
Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, DPhil Columbia University Medical Center
Victor Velculescu, MD, PhD Johns Hopkins University
Oliver Zivanovic, MD, PhD
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
George Coukos, MD, PhD
University of Lausanne
Olivier Elemento, PhD
Weill Cornell Medicine
Ursula Matulonis, MD
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Alessandro Santin, MD Yale Cancer Center
Irving Weissman, MD
Stanford University
STEM CELLS ARE THE KEY TO PERSONALIZING TREATMENTS FOR CANCER GENERATING AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF TUMOR TISSUE Stem cell technology allows us to create a ‘living biobank’ of cancer samples with an infinite lifespan. A major challenge in studying and treating cancer is that tumor samples from patients only live so long. By turning patient tumor samples into stem cells and organoids (3D aggregates of cells that model tumor structure), we can generate an unlimited supply of personalized tumor tissue for research and drug testing.
DETECTING CANCERS IN THEIR EARLY STAGES Our living biobank will help us study how each patient’s cancer initiates and progresses. Women’s reproductive cancers are often diagnosed at very late stages. Personalized stem cells and organoids will reveal tumor characteristics that could be used to detect and intervene in these cancers earlier on.
PERSONALIZING TREATMENTS FOR CANCER PATIENTS Stem-cell-based models of tumors can be used to test which drugs are likely to be effective on these tumors. We will use our living biobank to screen a variety of drugs, helping doctors to identify the best treatment course for each patient. Our goal is to make this highly personalized approach the new standard of care for cancer treatment.
WW W. N Y S CF. O R G
212.787.4111